Contributions
Abstract: P648
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Therapy - Others
Background and aims: many women with multiple sclerosis (MS) want to have children. However patients are frequently worried if the disease or treatment prescribed will affect their chances of getting pregnant. Also they want to know the chance that the newborn will inherit the disease or if the treatment has adverse effects on the child. This study evaluates the point of view of female patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) regarding pregnancy within the disease and the impact that the diagnosis had on family planning.
Methods: our prospective study was conducted on the basis of a questionnaire of 20 questions in the period April 2017 - March 2018 on a sample of 250 female patients, of fertile age, diagnosed with MS and following immunomodulatory therapy at the Neurology Clinic of Colentina Hospital, Bucharest.
Results: In the 250 patients: 150 were receiving interferon therapy, 70 glatiramer acetate and 30 natalizumab therapy. 80% said they were informed about the contraindications of therapy during pregnancy; 165 patients wanted children before diagnosis - of which most (66.66%) did not change their options after diagnosis; 85 women did not want children before diagnosis, their option remaining, also, unchanged (88.23%). With regard to risks, women would most easily accept a pregnancy that would only be at risk for the mother (28%), only five women would accept to be pregnant if the pregnancy poses a risk to the fetus. 12 patients were pregnant after starting treatment, 75% taking into account the physician´s advice on family planning. 92% would accept abortion if the fetus had malformations. Most (72%) said that the couple´s life did not suffer as a result of the inconveniences related to family planning.
Conclusions: neither multiple sclerosis nor immunomodulatory therapy reduces fertility, but patients are reluctant to become pregnant in the context of the disease. Considerations on pregnancy and family planning should be part of the therapeutic decision; the teratogenic risk of different immunomodulatory therapies should be carefully evaluated at the time of initiation of therapy for women of childbearing potential. In our study the patient´s choice of pregnancy has generally remained unchanged, but they take into account the physician´s advice for choosing the right time to get pregnant.
Disclosure: I.A. Ionescu: nothing to disclouse
Abstract: P648
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Therapy - Others
Background and aims: many women with multiple sclerosis (MS) want to have children. However patients are frequently worried if the disease or treatment prescribed will affect their chances of getting pregnant. Also they want to know the chance that the newborn will inherit the disease or if the treatment has adverse effects on the child. This study evaluates the point of view of female patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) regarding pregnancy within the disease and the impact that the diagnosis had on family planning.
Methods: our prospective study was conducted on the basis of a questionnaire of 20 questions in the period April 2017 - March 2018 on a sample of 250 female patients, of fertile age, diagnosed with MS and following immunomodulatory therapy at the Neurology Clinic of Colentina Hospital, Bucharest.
Results: In the 250 patients: 150 were receiving interferon therapy, 70 glatiramer acetate and 30 natalizumab therapy. 80% said they were informed about the contraindications of therapy during pregnancy; 165 patients wanted children before diagnosis - of which most (66.66%) did not change their options after diagnosis; 85 women did not want children before diagnosis, their option remaining, also, unchanged (88.23%). With regard to risks, women would most easily accept a pregnancy that would only be at risk for the mother (28%), only five women would accept to be pregnant if the pregnancy poses a risk to the fetus. 12 patients were pregnant after starting treatment, 75% taking into account the physician´s advice on family planning. 92% would accept abortion if the fetus had malformations. Most (72%) said that the couple´s life did not suffer as a result of the inconveniences related to family planning.
Conclusions: neither multiple sclerosis nor immunomodulatory therapy reduces fertility, but patients are reluctant to become pregnant in the context of the disease. Considerations on pregnancy and family planning should be part of the therapeutic decision; the teratogenic risk of different immunomodulatory therapies should be carefully evaluated at the time of initiation of therapy for women of childbearing potential. In our study the patient´s choice of pregnancy has generally remained unchanged, but they take into account the physician´s advice for choosing the right time to get pregnant.
Disclosure: I.A. Ionescu: nothing to disclouse