Pregnancy outcome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease according to the activity of the disease and the medical treatment: a case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
There is limited data on pregnancy outcome in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) (Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC]) from Eastern Europe. The aim of our multicenter study was to compare the pregnancy outcomes and the data of infants in pregnancies before and after the diagnosis of IBD.


METHODS
97 pregnancies in women with IBD (36 CD and 61 UC) and 70 pregnancies in the same women before the diagnosis of IBD (24 CD and 46 UC) were compared. The influence of disease activity and medical treatment during pregnancy on gestational age at birth, birth weight, health status of the newborns and the frequency of childhood diseases were analyzed.


RESULTS
Preterm birth and low birth weight were more common in IBD compared to those pregnancies delivered before the diagnosis of the disease (p = 0.008, p = 0.048). The occurrence of congenital abnormalities was not influenced by IBD, whereas childhood diseases occurred more frequently in the offspring of mothers with active UC. Disease activity in CD and UC during pregnancy did not predispose to abnormal birth outcome, compared to inactive disease. The type of medical treatment did not affect the pregnancy outcome in IBD.


CONCLUSIONS
Preterm birth and low birth weight were more common in IBD. The medical treatment of the active disease during pregnancy did not increase the frequency of abnormal birth outcomes. Medical maintenance treatment should be continued during pregnancy to avoid relapses, although IBD seems to be an independent risk factor for low birth weight and preterm birth.
Molnár
Tamás
T
First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary. mot@in1st.szote.u-szeged.hu
Farkas
Klaudia
K
Nagy
Ferenc
F
Lakatos
Péter László
PL
Miheller
Pál
P
Nyári
Tibor
T
Horváth
Gábor
G
Szepes
Zoltán
Z
Marik
Anikó
A
Wittmann
Tibor
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents