title: Pregnancy and delivery in women with spinal muscular atrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To expand the limited available knowledge about pregnancy and delivery in women with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) using a cohort of genetically proven SMA patients from USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. We mailed questionnaires to 58 women with confirmed SMA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-two women responded, reporting 35 pregnancies, including 19 women with at least one pregnancy. In this cohort, preterm labor and delivery by cesarean section were more common in mothers with SMA particularly SMA type 2. Seventy-four percent of mothers reported increased weakness during pregnancy that persisted after delivery in 42%. SMA mothers generally had a positive experience and good outcomes and elected to have more than one pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This information regarding pregnancy in women with genetically confirmed 5q SMA will prove useful in guiding future research and in providing counseling to women with SMA.
authors.affiliation: a Neurology , Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare , Dhahran , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Bakri H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Elsheikh
authors.affiliation: b Center for Biostatistics , The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center , Columbus , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: c Department of Neurology , Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Swoboda
authors.affiliation: d Department of Neurology , The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chelnick
authors.affiliation: e Neurology Clinical Research Institute , Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Sandra P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Reyna
authors.affiliation: d Department of Neurology , The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kolb
authors.affiliation: d Department of Neurology , The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus , OH , USA.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kissel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Spinal muscular atrophy; delivery complications; pregnancy course and outcome