A recent study published online on January 22 in Neurology highlights the heightened risk of mental illness among mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS) during and after pregnancy. Conducted as a population-based, retrospective cohort study, this research utilized data from nearly 895,000 Canadian mothers. The investigation spanned from one year before conception through three years after delivery, with index dates ranging between 2000 and 2017. Funded by MS Canada and ICES, the study's findings underscore the significant mental health challenges faced by women with MS during the peripartum period.
The study specifically reported that the prevalence of any mental illness in the MS cohort was 42% during pregnancy and jumped to 50% in the first year postpartum. In contrast, the incidence of mental illness was 8% during pregnancy and 14% during the first postpartum year among these women, a marked increase compared to those without chronic conditions. The analysis revealed that MS is associated with a 26% higher risk for mental illness during pregnancy and a striking 33% higher risk in the first postpartum year compared to women without MS.
Researchers included participants with MS, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and comparators without these chronic conditions. The study included 1,745 participants with MS, 5,954 with epilepsy, 4,924 with inflammatory bowel disease, and 13,002 with diabetes. The results indicated that mothers with MS experienced an increased incidence of mental illness both during the prenatal period and within the first postpartum year compared to their counterparts without chronic conditions.
The first postpartum year emerged as a particularly high-risk period for developing mental health issues, surpassing risks observed during pregnancy.
“These findings emphasize the need for preventive interventions and early treatment of mental illness,” – Ruth Ann Marrie, MD, PhD, Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
The study's implications are clear: proactive measures are essential in addressing the mental health needs of mothers with MS.
“Clinicians need to acknowledge that peripartum mental illness is common in [women with MS] and should be accounted for as part of their routine in family planning, pregnancy, and postpartum encounters,” – Lindsay A. Ross, Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
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