Myasthenia Gravis and Pregnancy
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The voluntary muscles of the entire body are controlled
by nerve impulses that arise in the brain. These nerve impulses travel
down the nerves to the place where the nerves meet the muscle fibres.
Nerve fibres do not actually connect with muscle fibres. There is a space
between the nerve ending and muscle fibre; this space is called the neuromuscular
junction . When the nerve impulse originating in the brain arrives
at the nerve ending, it releases a chemical called acetylcholine .
Acetylcholine travels across the space to the muscle fibre
side of the neuromuscular junction where it attaches to many receptor
sites. The muscle contracts when enough of the receptor sites have been
activated by the acetylcholine.
In Myasthenia Gravis (MG), there is as much
as an 80% reduction in the number of these receptor sites. The reduction
in the number of receptor sites is caused by an antibody that destroys
or blocks the receptor site.
For reasons not well understood, the immune system of
the person with MG makes antibodies against the receptor sites of the
neuromuscular junction. This is termed an autoimmune
disease .
The presence of this condition as well as some of the treatments
used may complicate a pregnancy. It can also be passed on to child the
woman is carrying.
For further, more detailed information on this topic,
please refer to the reference source for this page.
The information in this page is presented in summarised form and has been taken
from the following source(s):
1. Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America,
Facts About Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis for Patients & Families:
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Introduction
