It's hard enough to adequately weigh the risks and benefits of taking certain medications while pregnant. But the bigger problem is when women and doctors simply don't know the risks. A review article that considered much of the research available and published in April says just that: too little is known about the ways prescription drugs taken by a pregnant mother may affect the developing baby. This is true even for the drugs used to treat chronic conditions, such as asthma, high blood pressure and mental health disorders. Avoid any unnecessary medication during pregnancy. ...

Living with a chronic disease can be difficult. Multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, is a condition that’s becoming easier to treat because of advances in medicine. Still, many women worry that the disease could prevent them from having children. MS occurs when the body’s immune system eats away at the protective sheath, called myelin, that covers nerves, which results in irreversible deterioration of the nerves. The condition is more common among women, especially women between the ages of 20 and 40 – during childbearing age. ...