Mode of delivery in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-mediated disorder of the central nervous system, affecting women of childbearing age. Little is known about the possible association between mode of delivery and the risk of MS in offspring. Delivery represents a unique event in a woman’s lifetime, with complex mechanisms controlling human parturition. Concurrent with the trend of increasing numbers of caesarean deliveries (CD), there has been an increasing frequency of autoimmune diseases such as MS. Several theories have emerged suggesting that environmental influences are contributing to this phenomenon. The data available in literature seem reassuring for women with MS, suggesting that the disease is not associated with adverse pregnancy or birth outcomes. On the other hand, there is little information in the literature regarding the role of mode of delivery in predicting the postpartum disease activity, pregnancy, and birth outcomes in women with MS. The aim of our review is to provide a brief summary of the available data on the role of mode of delivery in MS, and the eventual correlation with disease outcome.

Keywords

• Delivery
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Pregnancy Outcome