. Freshteh Ashtari; . Fatemeh Mokhtari; . Mahboubeh Valiani; . Mohammad Soudavi; . Homa Saadat; . Hamidreza Tolouei; . Marjan Mansourian
Volume 11, Issue 5 , June 2021, , Pages 1-7
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system. Mostwomen with MS are diagnosed during their reproductive ages. The aim of this study was to ...
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BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system. Mostwomen with MS are diagnosed during their reproductive ages. The aim of this study was to evaluatethe interaction between fertility, pregnancy, and MS.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective descriptive–analytic study was conducted on 110women suffering from MS with a history of pregnancy (between 2007 and 2017 years) in Isfahan,Iran. Samples were selected in a census model. Women completed a researcher-constructedquestionnaire by telephone. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: demographic information, MSand its symptoms and treatment, and reproductive system and the history of pregnancy associatedwith MS. The data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16 using Chi-square, ANOVA, and t-test.RESULTS: The mean age of women was 32.4 years. In this population, the average number ofpregnancies was 1.61, the number of deliveries was 1.35, the number of abortions was 0.24, thehistory of ectopic pregnancy was 0.01, the number of alive children was 1.36, and the number of deadchildren was 0.01. The average time of the last MS attack before the pregnancy was 21.36 months.Fatigue (24.5%) was the most common symptom exacerbated during pregnancy. MS symptomsimproved in 55.0% of women in the second trimester.CONCLUSIONS: MS had no effect on the pregnancy status, such as the number of abortions,ectopic pregnancy, alive and dead children, and the duration of pregnancy. Symptoms of the diseaseimproved during pregnancy. Therefore, pregnancy has a protective role against MS.
