Pregnancy and multiple sclerosis: a 2-year experience

Objective: To present our experience with management of parturients with mu ltiple sclerosis and to examine the role of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVI g) in the prevention of postpartum exacerbations of the disease. Methods: F ifteen patients with multiple sclerosis with a relapsing-remitting course w ere followed during pregnancy and 6 months postpartum. To prevent postpartu m exacerbations, 14 of the patients had received IVIg after delivery. Resul ts: None of the patients who received postpartum IVIg relapsed during the 6 months after delivery. None of the observed obstetric complications nor th e operative deliveries could be related to the coexistence of multiple scle rosis. Conclusion: Postpartum IVIg treatment is beneficial in preventing ac ute childbirth-associated exacerbations in patients with relapsing-remittin g multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, this disease does not seem to increase o bstetric complications. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights r eserved.