C-Sections More Common in Women with Multiple Sclerosis, Primarily for Obstetrical Reasons, suggests study
Researchers have discovered that women with multiple sclerosis (wMS) are now more likely to consider pregnancy and have a much higher C-section rate than the general population. Though the previous literature suggested this trend, Canadian Multiple Sclerosis Pregnancy Study (CANPREG-MS) brings new insight into the rate of C-sections in women with wMS.a recent study was conducted by Dessa S. and colleagues published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal.
The CANPREG-MS was a prospective study of the course of pregnant women diagnosed with MS. This study was carried out to look for comparisons between: i) C-section rate for wMS vs. that of the general Canadian population, and ii) outcomes after C-section in comparison to vaginal delivery in wMS. In this study, delivery timing, differences in birth weights, and MS post-delivery relapse rates were examined.
In the study CANPREG-MS, 170 deliveries were recorded with 63 (37.1%) deliveries being C-sections. This was statistically higher than the general Canadian population rate of 28% (p<0.0085).
66.7% of C-sections were unplanned and also performed for obstetric reasons rather than MS-specific concerns.
C-section deliveries occurred at an earlier gestational age than vaginal births, but there was no difference in birth weights between groups.
Postdelivery relapses and pseudo-relapses of MS were similarly low, at 3.2% for each in the first month postpartum and irrespective of decisions over disease-modifying treatment in this area.
This study indicates that more women with MS deliver through C-section than other individuals, and this occurs mostly due to obstetric causes rather than direct causes from MS. Low rates of post-delivery relapses in wMS following delivery are reassuring in the care of stable disease in the wMS who receive C-sections. This is very vital for all the medical care providers managing the pre-conceptual period and delivering a pregnancy of a wMS patient.
Reference:
Sadovnick, D., Criscuoli, M., Yee, I., Carruthers, R., Devonshire, V., Smyth, P., & Krysko, K. M. (2024). Cesarian sections in women with multiple sclerosis: A Canadian prospective pregnancy study. Multiple Sclerosis Journal - Experimental, Translational and Clinical, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/20552173241285546
