title: Outcome of pregnancy in women with inflammatory bowel disease treated with antitumor necrosis factor therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infliximab (IFX) and adalimumab (ADA) are attractive treatment options in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) also during pregnancy but there is still limited data on the benefit/risk profile of IFX and ADA during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This observational study assessed pregnancy outcomes in 212 women with IBD under antitumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) treatment at our IBD unit. Pregnancy outcomes in 42 pregnancies with direct exposure to anti-TNF treatment (35 IFX, 7 ADA) were compared with that in 23 pregnancies prior to IBD diagnosis, 78 pregnancies before start of IFX, 53 pregnancies with indirect exposure to IFX, and 56 matched pregnancies in healthy women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-two of the 42 pregnancies ended in live births with a median gestational age of 38 weeks (interquartile range [IQR] 37-39). There were seven premature deliveries, six children had low birth weight, and there was one stillbirth. One boy weighed 1640 g delivered at week 33, died at age of 13 days because of necrotizing enterocolitis. A total of eight abortions (one patient wish) occurred in seven women. Trisomy 18 was diagnosed in one fetus of a mother with CD at age 37 under ADA treatment (40 mg weekly) and pregnancy was terminated. Pregnancy outcomes after direct exposure to anti-TNF treatment were not different from those in pregnancies before anti-TNF treatment or with indirect exposure to anti-TNF treatment but outcomes were worse than in pregnancies before IBD diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Direct exposure to anti-TNF treatment during pregnancy was not related to a higher incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes than IBD overall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schnitzler
authors.forename: Herma
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fidder
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ballet
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noman
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Assche
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spitz
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Kristel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Steen
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vermeire
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rutgeerts
mesh_terms: D000068879:Adalimumab; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab; D000068879:Adalimumab