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CASE REPORT
Interferon β-1a therapy for multiple sclerosis during pregnancy: an unresolved issue
  1. Aldrin Anthony Dung Dung1,
  2. Akhila Kumar Panda2
  1. 1Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, New Delhi, India
  2. 2Department of Neurology, BLK Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi, India
  1. Correspondence to Dr Akhila Kumar Panda, drakhilapanda{at}gmail.com

Summary

On the basis of evidence from clinical trials, contraindications to the use of interferon (INF) are pregnancy, epilepsy and depression. Management of multiple sclerosis during pregnancy is a difficult issue because of pregnancy-related complications and fear of congenital anomalies due to exposure to disease-modifying therapy. In different series, INF therapy was withdrawn before or after variable periods of exposure. This case illustrates a 26-year-old woman diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis who was treated with a weekly regimen of intramuscular INF-β 1a (Avonex). She had received this treatment throughout her pregnancy without any further exacerbations of symptoms or any untoward pregnancy-related complications. In contrast to different series, our patient had the longest exposure to INF-β during pregnancy.

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