Movement disorders and pregnancy: a review of the literature

Pregnant patients are rarely encountered in the movement disorders clinic, but they present significant dilemmas regarding treatment and counseling for neurologists. While movement disorders in pregnancy once described those disorders arising de novo during pregnancy, such as chorea gravidarum or restless leg syndrome, advancing maternal age in Western countries will likely increase the number of women in whom pregnancy complicates a pre-existing movement disorder. Physicians treating these women must be aware of the impact of the movement disorder and its treatment on fertility, pregnancy, fetal development, lactation, and infant care. This review summarizes retrospective series and case reports to both guide clinicians and to stimulate and direct the design of prospective studies.