Breastfeeding and multiple sclerosis

HHS HealthBeat (June 24, 2009)
Breastfeeding and multiple sclerosis

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Some medications for multiple sclerosis are not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. So, after they have the baby, women must choose between breastfeeding and going back on their medications.

In one small study, though, women with MS who breastfeed exclusively for two months had a lower risk of MS attacks. Annette Langer-Gould of Kaiser Permanente Southern California:

[Annette Langer-Gould speaks] "While 87 percent of the women who did not breastfeed exclusively had a relapse in the year after giving birth, only 36 percent of the women who did breastfeed exclusively relapsed in that postpartum year."

Langer-Gould says waiting two months to resume medications may be a good idea, but more research will be needed to establish that.

The report in Archives of Neurology was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.
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Last revised: June, 24 2009

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Breastfeeding and multiple sclerosis