When young women get a diagnosis of
MS (Multiple Sclerosis), which is more prevalent in women of childbearing age than any other age
group, one of their many concerns is how this will affect them getting pregnant.
If you have had failed IVF's or recurrent pregnancy loss and you've
been told that your autoimmune disease is not a factor, than you need
to come and talk with us. Whatever the immune defect is that is causing
your body to attack its own organs -- it is present in your body. What
happens in pregnancy is that the defect prevents your embryo from developing
its' own immune tolerance. That is why it is important to plan your
pregnancy with your neurologist and your OBGYN early on, and to maintain
that relationship throughout your pregnancy. Otherwise, you may have issues
with normal implantation of the embryo or late pregnancy complications
such as placental abruption, intrauterine growth retardation and, in some
cases, still birth.
At our practice we have found with our patients that women with a history
of recurrent pregnancy loss and a history of autoimmune diseases like
MS -- that their conditions are related, and the autoimmune disease is
the culprit. Many of these patients, surprisingly, are not immediately
referred to our center, because there are still a lot of misconceptions
regarding the contribution of autoimmune disease to the process of recurring
pregnancy loss. It is important to understand that the same mechanisms
that each organ in the body must use to protect itself from the maternal
immune system are the same mechanisms that an embryo must use to create
immune tolerance for itself and its survival. So it is logical to expect
that when there is a break down in the mother's own immune system,
to the point where it is attacking her own organs and her own blood vessels,
that it is more than likely that the embryo is going to have a problem
protecting itself, too.
We are able to break down most immune issues into two groups: those that
are antibody mediated (i.e. Lupus), and those that are inflammatory (i.e.
Crohns, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis). Although, how they
attack the embryo may be different, we understand how each of the autoimmune
diseases interacts with the embryo's ability to protect itself, and
we treat accordingly. We have had great success with our treatments! Please
call us to learn more.