Multiple sclerosis and family planning

Department of Neurology, St Josef Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Gudrunstrasse 56, DE–44791 Bochum, Germany *Author for correspondence: Tel.: +49 0234 0509 501; k.hellwig@klinikum-bochum.de Historically, women with multiple sclerosis (MS) were discouraged from becoming pregnant. Today, MS is being diagnosed at an earlier age and much more reliable data are available about the disease course during and after pregnancy. In general, patients with MS should not be discouraged from planning a family. However, physicians need to be fully aware of the relevant issues in order to counsel their patients appropriately. Some frequently encountered issues are the possible impact of disease modifying therapy on the fetus, postpartum advice including breastfeeding and information about assisted reproduction techniques.