summary: It is well known that in women with MS, the relapse rate decreases during pregnancy and can increase after delivery. The authors of this study propose that this increase of the relapse rate after pregnancy may be related to an immunological process (reflected by the decline in a specific type of immune cell) which starts during late pregnancy. They also suggest that this process can be interrupted by lactational amenorrhea (physiological suppression of menstruation while nursing) induced by exclusive breastfeeding.

authors: Langer-Gould A, Gupta R, Huang S, Hagan A, Atkuri K, Leimpeter AD, Albers KB, Greenwood E, Van Den Eeden SK, Steinman L, Nelson LM

source: Arch Neurol. 2010 Jan;67(1):51-7

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category: Immunology

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