Multiple Sclerosis Forum - Giving birth and the developement of MS ?

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Q: Giving birth and the developement of MS ?

asked by: rumzy7 on April 23rd, 2009

New User

Hi,
My mother had MS, and I am aware that it is not hereditary, but I know that there is a 2% chance that the offspring develop it. I am 29 years old and considering getting pregnant. I have heard that child birth can either trigger the development of MS, or trigger rapid progression of prior unknown presence of MS. Is there any truth to this?

Is it possible that people who have had this happen to them maybe had MS before giving birth, but were not aware due to dormant symptoms, which then became active after? Or could it be that theses people did not have MS at all prior to giving birth, but developed it after?

Are there any medical tests that can determine if I have MS, yet no symptoms? And would a negative test result indicate an impossibility of developing MS?

Thank you!

Replies(2)

zigemyster

replied on April 25th, 2009

Moderator

Re: Giving birth and the developement of MS ?

rumzy7 wrote:

Childbirth will not trigger MS (as if it was a new disease)

rumzy7 wrote:

Is it possible that people who have had this happen to them maybe had MS before giving birth, but were not aware due to dormant symptoms, which then became active after?

Maybe this will help explain my answer: When my daughter was approx 6 months old I had a leg that felt heavy and not quite right; never got a dx other than a brace of sorts to wear and approx 6 weeks later I was fine. It baffled the doctors as to what it could have been. Research has been done that states that women who have MS will generally have a flare after giving birth.

rumzy7 wrote:

Or could it be that theses people did not have MS at all prior to giving birth, but developed it after?

Research states no.

rumzy7 wrote:

Are there any medical tests that can determine if I have MS, yet no symptoms? And would a negative test result indicate an impossibility of developing MS?

Brain and spine MRI's would show lesions (however not everyone who has MS will have lesions)...and a negative test would not rule out the possibility of developing MS later on.

oopoopoop

replied on April 28th, 2009

Extremely eHealthy

Pregnancy suppresses the immune system (so that the fetus, a foreign body, is not rejected). MS is believed to be the result of some aspects of the immune system being over-active, attacking bits of the body's own proteins. MS suddenly appearing after childbirth may be due to the delay being afforded by the pregnancy -- if the woman hadn't gotten pregnant, with the resulting suppression of the immune system, symptoms might have appeared earlier. I guess it is also possible that the release and recovery of the immune system might have sent it into overdrive in some cases?

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