Pregravid preparation, pregnancy and childbirth, especially the course of the postpartum period in patients with multiple sclerosis (literature review)

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the formation of lesions in the white matter as a result of autoimmune inflammation, neurodegeneration and demyelination and leading to severe disability of patients. Women get sick more often than men; young women of reproductive age account for about 2/3 of all MS patients. It was established that pregnancy and childbirth with MS have a beneficial effect on the course of the disease, however, patients with MS need pregravid preparation, which will reduce the risk of exacerbations. Exacerbations are observed in most cases during the first 36 months of the postpartum period, which is associated with a change in hormonal status, emotional and physical stress on the womans body, and also with the cessation of physiological immunosuppression in a pregnant woman. The analysis of modern literature sources on the issues of pregravid preparation, pregnancy and childbirth, and the features of postpartum period in multiple sclerosis, as well as new ideas concerning the disease etiology and pathogenesis. 47 literature sources (national and foreign) were analyzed using various databases (PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, UpToDate).

Keywords

• autoimmune inflammation
• pregravid preparation
• postpartum period
• exacerbation