Multiple sclerosis is a nervous disorder that affects the central nervous system. The disease is persistent in character and results in the thickening of the brain and spinal cord tissues.

During the disease, the myelin sheath surrounding the nerve fibers are damaged which in turn causes transitory interlude. The disease occurs in 7 varied patterns such as remitting multiple sclerosis, progressive relapsing multiple sclerosis and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

The cause of the disease is unknown, but women are observed to be more prone to the disorder. Other risk factors include diet, climate, sunlight, geomagnetism, toxins, genetic factors and infectious diseases. Patients of multiple sclerosis experience fatigue, muscular spasms, stiffness, tremors, pain and paralysis. However, the severity of the symptoms mostly attacks the patient after few years of diagnosis. Proper treatment assists in reducing the lesions and decreases the rate of advancement of the disease. Intake of vitamin D is extremely beneficial for individuals suffering from multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy do not adversely affect each other. The disease is not known to influence conception, pregnancy term, labor or delivery in women. However, there are certain aspects that need to be kept in mind. Women with multiple sclerosis desiring to plan a family should be off some treatment drugs that might prove to be deleterious to the health of the child. Drugs such as prednisone, corticotropin, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, diazepam, phenytoin, carbamazepine and baclofen taken during multiple sclerosis are passed onto the child during pregnancy through the blood and during breast feeding via milk. Therefore, in interest of the fetus, the expectant mother patient is normally advised to refrain from the consumption of such drugs.

It has been observed that many patients experience reduction in disease symptoms or attacks during course of pregnancy. As part of normal changes in pregnancy, the pregnancy hormones slow down reactions of the immune system in the mother. The respite in the disease symptoms could be a consequence of this reduced body immunity. Labor is normal in patients of multiple sclerosis except for those who suffer from paralysis or lack of sensation. In this condition, the pregnant woman may not be able to feel the contractions initiating labor. Adequate medical supervision is required during the ninth month in such cases as there may arouse the need to induce labor once the cervix dilates.

Although there is no medical evidence but attacks of multiple sclerosis are seen to increase by two to three folds after child birth. Also, even though the disease does not affect pregnancy as such but one must give a good thought before taking the plunge, owing to the physical limitations posed by the disease.

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