Document resource
Background/Objectives The influence of pregnancy on the disease course in women with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) phenotypes has not been defined. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and disability trajectories of women who experienced a pregnancy after the onset of primary progressive MS (PPMS) or secondary progressive MS (SPMS).Methods This multicentre observational cohort study utilised data from the MSBase Registry extracted on June 2, 2024. Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores of women with progressive MS were assessed up to ten years postpartum and compared to those of propensity-score matched women without a history of pregnancy.Results 138 women with 164 pregnancies were included in the study, comprising 92 pregnancies in women with PPMS and 72 in women with SPMS. Seventy-one women and 142 non-pregnant women were included in the analysis of EDSS scores. A history of pregnancy did not have a significant effect on disability trajectories up to ten years postpartum in women with either PPMS (Estimate = -0.013; 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.07–0.04; P = 0.64) or SPMS (Estimate = 0.003; 95% CI, -0.02–0.03; P = 0.82). Relapses occurred during 7.6% of pregnancies in women with PPMS and 9.7% of those with SPMS, while early postpartum relapses occurred in 2.2% of pregnancies in women with PPMS and 9.7% with SPMS.Conclusion Pregnancy does not significantly impact long-term disability scores in women with progressive MS, offering reassurance for those considering pregnancy. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.