Figure. Average annualized relapse rate before, during, and after pregnancy.

Depicted is the average annualized relapse rate and 95% confidence intervals in the 2 years before pregnancy and each 3-month interval during (first, second, and third trimesters) and after pregnancy (PP = postpartum) in the entire cohort (A) and in the subgroup of women with suboptimally controlled disease at pregnancy onset (B). Relapse rates were higher in the suboptimally controlled group before and after pregnancy (B) compared with the entire cohort (A) but show a similar pattern of decline during pregnancy (p < 0.0001 for both groups) and return to prepregnancy rates between 4 and 6 months postpartum as in the entire cohort. No increased relapse rate is seen in the postpartum year compared with prepartum in either group.