#055: Therapeutic decisions regarding pregnancy and lactation. Interview with Prof. Celia Oreja-Guevara

MS-Perspektive - The Multiple Sclerosis Podcast

For women with MS desiring motherhood, controlled MS and informed choices in pregnancy and lactation ensure a fulfilling journey, with modern therapies supporting both mother and child's health.

You can find the questions and asnwers to read on my blog: https://ms-perspektive.com/55-celia-oreja-guevara

Prof. Celia Oreja-Guevara advises women with multiple sclerosis and the desire to have children once a week at the University Hospital San Carlos in Madrid. It is best if the MS has been under control for two years. Then the chances of having a relaxed pregnancy are very good.

As women with MS are on average somewhat older at birth, artificial insemination plays a role. The recommendation is to choose the slightly more expensive in-vitro option, as it has a higher chance of success and couples can save time and disappointment.

In general, it has been shown that motherhood hardly affects the long-term course of the disease and that nothing stands in the way of this important part of life’s happiness for many people. Modern, effective therapies control even highly active courses very well.

Those who wish to breastfeed can do so. Nevertheless, health should always come first and if it becomes difficult or very time-consuming, whether for therapeutic or other reasons, you can fall back on substitute milk without a guilty conscience. It is better to prevent relapses and possible long-term effects than to breastfeed at all costs. Dive deeper into the various topics around pregnancy, lactation and immunotherapy for women with MS.

Table of Contents

• Introduction – Who is Prof. Celia Oreja-Guevara?
• General information about the desire to have children with MS
• Specific information on childbearing and pregnancy with MS
• Breastfeeding with multiple sclerosis
• Farewell

Introduction – Who is Prof. Celia Oreja-Guevara?​

I am Celia Oreja-Guevara, Vice Chair of Neurology and Head of Multiple Sclerosis Center at the University Hospital San Carlos, Madrid, in Spain.

I am Professor of Neurology at the University Complutense, Madrid. After gaining my medical degree from the University of Madrid, I completed my PhD thesis in Neuroimmunology at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Munich, Germany.

I then completed a residency in the Department of Neurology at the University of Bochum, Germany, followed by a one-year fellowship in neuroimaging at the University Hospital San Raffaele in Milan, Italy. Since then, I have held several posts, including Senior Neurologist at the University of Dusseldorf, Germany, Head of Neurology at Hospital de Fuenlabrada, and Chair of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at University Hospital La Paz, both in Madrid, Spain. I am the Co-Chair of the Scientific Panel on Multiple Sclerosis for the European Academy of Neurology.

My main areas of research interest are clinical and neuroimaging correlations in MS, family planning, the use of optical coherence tomography in symptomatic therapy, neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and the evaluation of new drugs for the treatment of MS and NMO.

My hobbies are technology, buy gadgets, repair computer, visit technological exhibitions…

On the other hand, I like travel everywhere and to watch comedy and love films.

Is there anything else you would like to share with the listeners?

For patients with Multiple Sclerosis, becoming pregnant is absolutely possible with the right preparations. Therefore, engaging in thorough family planning is crucial to manage both the disease and the pregnancy effectively, safeguarding the health of both the mother and the baby.

How and where can interested people follow your research activities?

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• PubMed

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Many thanks for the positive insight views into the topic of pregnancy and lactation with MS.

See you soon and try to make the best out of your life, Nele

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