title: The need for a disease-specific prospective pregnancy registry for multiple sclerosis (MS).
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most commonly acquired neurological disorder affecting young adults of reproductive age with an approximately 3:1 female to male ratio. Although pregnancy is not contraindicated in MS, data are limited regarding pregnancy outcome among MS patients, and the safety or risk to the fetus associated with most maternal MS treatments, such as disease modifying therapies (DMTs), during pregnancy is unknown. We review available epidemiological and registry data on MS and pregnancy and discuss the need to initiate a North American Multiple Sclerosis Pregnancy Registry that will prospectively identify pregnancies in women with MS, obtain information on the disease, and its treatment during gestation and lactation and follow the children to determine their health status.
authors: Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Electronic address: sura.alwan@gmail.com.
authors: Sura
authors: S
authors: Alwan
authors: School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: chchambers@ucsd.edu.
authors: Christina D
authors: CD
authors: Chambers
authors: National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry, Gift of Life Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA; University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA.
authors: Vincent T
authors: VT
authors: Armenti
authors: Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Division of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Electronic address: sadovnik@infinet.net.
authors: A Dessa
authors: AD
authors: Sadovnick
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012042:Registries
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors
keywords: Birth outcome; Multiple sclerosis; Pregnancy; Pregnancy registry; Reproduction