Pregnancy and labor in chronic anterior horn lesion

: This is the case of a 35-year old woman who suffers from a chronic form of spinal muscular atrophy and who has successfully completed four pregnancies between 1982 and 1987. After a short discussion of etiology, pathology, heredity and the differential diagnosis we describe the obstetric problems of our patient. The pregnancies were mainly aggravated by recurrent cystitis. In all the four deliveries the patient had to undergo cesarean section followed by severe lung problems. After the third pregnancy the patient had a nephrectomy cause of a pyonephrosis. We could not see an aggravation of the disease at it is described in some cases of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease or polyneuritis. Three of the four children showed a striking muscular hypotonia post partum that disappeared soon after the neonatal period.