Pregnancy with Friedreich ataxia: a retrospective review of medical risks and psychosocial implications.
OBJECTIVE
Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive, neurodegenerative disease. Recent medical advances have improved the average life expectancy, and as such, many female patients are contemplating pregnancy. However, little research exists exploring the medical or psychosocial complications that arise from pregnancy with this disease.


METHODS
In this study, we retrospectively examined 31 women with FRDA who had 65 pregnancies, resulting in 56 live offspring.


RESULTS
FRDA did not appear to increase the risk of spontaneous abortion, preeclampsia, or preterm birth. Despite the sensory and proprioceptive loss that occurs in FRDA, nearly four fifths of births were vaginal. Of babies, 94.4% were discharged home with their mothers. Equal numbers of women reported that pregnancy made their disease symptoms worse, better, or unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that women with FRDA can have uncomplicated pregnancies that do not uniformly complicate disease symptomatology.
Friedman
Lisa S
LS
Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Paulsen
Erin K
EK
Schadt
Kimberly A
KA
Brigatti
Karlla W
KW
Driscoll
Deborah A
DA
Farmer
Jennifer M
JM
Lynch
David R
DR
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D001034:Apgar Score; D001724:Birth Weight; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005621:Friedreich Ataxia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D050498:Live Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D047929:Term Birth