PREDICTORS OF POSTPARTUM RELAPSES IN WOMEN WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: RESULTS FROM THE MSBASE REGISTRY

Abstract

Several studies have shown that pregnancy reduces relapse rate in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), followed by an increased relapse rate in the early postpartum period. We re-examined the effect of pregnancy on MS using the international MSBase Registry, examining predictors of early post-partum relapse. We performed a prospective observational multi-centre case-control study, with self-control. Annualised relapse rate (ARR) and median Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores were compared for the 24 months pre-conception, pregnancy and 24 months postpartum periods. Clustered logistic regression was used to investigate predictors of early postpartum relapses. We included 893 pregnancies in 674..