Breastfeeding and Multiple Sclerosis
Breastfeeding does not appear to help women with Multiple Sclerosis lower their risk for a relapse.
An Italian study of nearly 300 women with M.S. who gave birth finds no difference in the amount of relapses among women who breastfed and those who didn’t.
Rather, the strongest predictor of relapse was how many episodes a woman had the year before pregnancy.
Those who had a relapse in the year before getting pregnant were 50% more likely to relapse after birth.
The study did not show breastfeeding had a negative impact.
Doctors say it is not safe to take M.S. medication while nursing, so women who need to resume treatment to avoid relapses may not be able to breastfeed.
