Home » Health & Wellness » Sarcoidosis » Pregnancy and Parenting with Sarcoidosis

Pregnancy and Parenting with Sarcoidosis

© Lou Robinson

"I can't be sick. I'm only thirty years old!"

My protest fell on deaf ears, as it was a silent scream. My emotions felt out of control. I was thirty years old, the mother of one child, separated from my ex-husband, and facing what I knew could be a painful, crippling disease. At that time, I had been misdiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. But, it didn't matter because both rheumatoid arthritis and sarcoidosis share some things. They both have an onset during a woman's childbearing years, and they can both be emotionally and physically challenging, and unpredictable.

Women between the ages of twenty and forty are most likely to develop sarcoidosis, although persons of all ages are vulnerable. It is during this stage of men and women's lives that they make decisions about marriage and raising a family. Of course, competing with the question of when to marry and have a family is the pull of higher education and career goals. Today's young adult is more likely to delay marriage and family a few years than the previous generation. While this delay may not be an issue for most young women with sarcoidosis, women with chronic, more severe cases of the condition may find becoming pregnant difficult, and may require bedrest during some part of the pregnancy. Overall, however, sarcoidosis does not affect fertility.

Because parents can expect to devote a significant portion of two decades or more of their lives to parenting, the decision to have a child cannot be taken lightly. Questions of financial stability, caregiver resources, time availability, present and future career goals and emotional readiness deserve serious attention. When the answers are favorable, one with sarcoidosis should ask additional questions.

The first question should help determine the status of your sarcoidosis right now. Is it acute or chronic, stable or unstable, mild or severe? Specialists often discourage pregnancy if the condition is unstable and progressing. Is there pain, excessive fatigue, or depression that is not under control? Will the medication regimen interfere with the pregnancy? For example, methotrexate should be avoided during the development of the fetus' heart, according to some experts. Chloroquine has been shown to cause neurological disorders in the fetus unless it is given in low doses during pregnancy. Several other drugs must be avoided completely. However, other drugs may possibly be used effectively as substitutes. While formulating the decision about having a child is the best time to gather all the facts, including those about medication concerns.

The copyright of the article Pregnancy and Parenting with Sarcoidosis in Sarcoidosis is owned by Lou Robinson. Permission to republish Pregnancy and Parenting with Sarcoidosis in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.