Conception outcomes and opinions about pregnancy for men with inflammatory bowel disease.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who want to have children are anxious to receive medical treatment. The consensus regarding pregnancy has not been surveyed for male IBD patients. The present study was investigated opinions among male IBD patients about pregnancy, conception and neonatal outcomes for partners.


METHODS
Subjects comprised 364 of 386 patients enrolled (94.3%). Subjects received a questionnaire regarding their opinions and thoughts about pregnancy. The course of partner's conceptions and presence of neonatal malformations was also surveyed.


RESULTS
The rate of live births for partners of male IBD patients was 91.6% (219/239). Most patients with CD (29/33; 88%) had their children after surgery had been performed. The rate of expressing hopes to have a child tended to be higher for patients with UC (93/128; 73%) than for patients with CD (61/97; 63%; p=0.21). Furthermore, the rate of hesitation was significantly higher in CD patients (34/107; 32%) than in UC patients (38/188; 20%; p=0.03).Patients considered that safety of medication (51%) and maintenance of remission (41%) was more important than receiving no treatment for IBD (19%) when planning to conceive. Mesalamine and infliximab were more favorable at conception than sulfasalazine and immunomodulators.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report to survey the thinking of male IBD patients regarding pregnancy. Most male IBD patients considered "maintaining remission" as important at conception. Our study provides important information for IBD patients and for the treating physician when planning to conceive.
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, Japan.
Asaka
A
Sato
Makoto
M
Naganuma
Keiko
K
Asakura
Yuji
Y
Nishiwaki
Tomoharu
T
Yajima
Tadakazu
T
Hisamatsu
Yasushi
Y
Iwao
Toru
T
Takebayashi
Mamoru
M
Watanabe
Toshifumi
T
Hibi
D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents