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Myasthenia Gravis and Pregnancy

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Neurology and Psychiatry of Women

Abstract

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by fluctuating and fatigable weakness of skeletal muscle. MG is more common in women than in men, particularly in the second and third decades of life, resulting in a relatively high burden of MG in women of child bearing age. The disease and its treatment side effects may have considerable impact on women’s general and reproductive health. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can influence the presentation and severity of MG. MG and its treatments also carry implications for the fetus. This chapter reviews the existing literature on the presentation, disease course, treatment and possible complications of MG in women, with a focus on pregnancy, labor and delivery.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, Department of Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Christyn Edmundson

  2. Neuromuscular Center & EMG Laboratory, Departmentof Neurology, VA Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Mohammad Kian Salajegheh

Authors
  1. Christyn Edmundson
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  2. Mohammad Kian Salajegheh
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Correspondence to Mohammad Kian Salajegheh .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Mary Angela O’Neal

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Edmundson, C., Salajegheh, M.K. (2019). Myasthenia Gravis and Pregnancy. In: O’Neal, M. (eds) Neurology and Psychiatry of Women. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04245-5_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04245-5_20

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-04244-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-04245-5

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