- - Family - Young Children MS has not been shown to effect pregnancy, and pregnancy has not been shown to effect the course of MS(Minden). But, even very young children can notice the slight physical differences in a parent. If a parent avoids talking about MS, the child may think the situation too horrible to talk about. This fear of the child may result in changes in the childŐs behavior, for example, withdrawing from the family and friends, poor school work, or aggression. "It is not harmful for a child to see a parentŐs genuine feelings ... [yet] it is inappropriate to burden children with adult problems ..." (Minden). But, Shelly Schwarz tells of her experience with MS and enlisting her small children to help with household chores. "Children can be creative problem-solvers" (Schwarz). The childrenŐs worries will change as they grow and as the MS itself changes.

December 9, 1998