Highlights
- •The historic assumption that MS relapse rate reduces during pregnancy and increases again post-partum remains true, despite significant changes in the MS treatment landscape, and increasing rates of treatment with DMT.
- •MS relapse rate appears to be decreasing over time in women both prior to pregnancy and in the post-partum period.
- •Neither diagnostic criteria, DMT exposure, nor proportion of women breastfeeding appears to associate with the change in relapse rate at a population level.
Abstract
Background
Women with MS are advised that relapse rates fall during pregnancy and rebound post-partum.
This advice originates from 1998; smaller, more recent, studies have not been previously
pooled.
Methods
All studies published since 1998 providing raw relapse data were considered for inclusion.
Single arm meta-analysis was performed using a restricted maximum likelihood random
effects model with inverse variance; secondary subgroup analysis and meta regression
were then performed. Annualised relapse rates (ARR), or relapse numbers/rates suitable
for conversion into ARR during pregnancy and the post-partum period were included.
Secondary subgroup analysis examined year of data collection, DMT exposure, breastfeeding
and data source.
Results
7034 pregnancies from 6430 women were included. ARR fell from 0.57 (95%CI 0.45-0.70)
pre-pregnancy to 0.36 (0.28-0.44), 0.29 (0.21-0.36) and 0.16 (0.11-0.21) during trimesters
1,2, and 3, with a post-partum rebound (ARR 0.85, 95%CI 0.70-1.00). ARR reduced pre-pregnancy
and post-partum over time (p<0.001). Relapse rates were lower in claims databases
than elsewhere.
Conclusions
Despite high heterogeneity, we confirm the historic assumption that ARR reduces during
pregnancy, and demonstrate an overall reduction in ARR over time. Studies using data
originating from claims databases demonstrated a lower relapse rate at all time points,
which has not previously been demonstrated.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 29, 2020
Accepted:
May 24,
2020
Received:
March 6,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
