title: Myasthenia gravis in pregnancy: Experience of a portuguese center.
abstract: We evaluated the clinical course during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of a cohort of Portuguese women with myasthenia gravis (MG).
  
  
  
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  
  Twenty-five patients with 30 pregnancies were included. Mean maternal age was 32.4 ± 4.1 years. Miscarriage rate was 6.7%, with delivery of 28 newborns. Deterioration in MG during pregnancy occurred in 43.3%, and 46.4% occurred at postpartum. Eighty percent were medicated with pyridostigmine, 43.3% with corticosteroids, and 40% with intravenous immunoglobulin. There were no maternal or neonatal deaths. Mean gestational time at delivery was 38.2 weeks. No cases of fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, preterm delivery, or fetal demise were observed. Global cesarean rate was 64.3%. Two newborns developed transient neonatal myasthenia.
  
  
  
  A high rate of clinical worsening of MG in the mother was observed in this retrospective study, which highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for avoiding maternal adverse outcomes. Muscle Nerve 54: 715-720, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics Department, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001, Oporto, Portugal. ajcbraga2@gmail.com.
authors.forename: António Costa
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics Department, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001, Oporto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Oporto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ernestina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics Department, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001, Oporto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Braga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: myasthenia gravis; neonatal myasthenia; postpartum; pregnancy; treatment