Exposure to measles in utero and Crohn's disease: Danish register study

• Published in: BMJ Vol. 316; no. 7126; pp. 196 - 197
• Main Authors: Nielsen, Lise Lotte W, Nielsen, Nete Munk, Melbye, Mads, Sodermann, Morten, Jacobsen, Marianne, Aaby, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England British Medical Journal Publishing Group 17.01.1998; British Medical Association; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Group
• Edition: International edition
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Binomial distribution; Colorectal cancer; Crohn disease; Crohn Disease - epidemiology; Crohn Disease - etiology; Crohns disease; Denmark - epidemiology; Epidemiology; Female; Heart diseases; Hospital records; Hospitals; Humans; Infections; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Measles; Medical disorders; Medical research; Physicians; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Registries; Risk Factors; Womens health; Denmark
• ISSN: 0959-8138; 0959-8146; 1468-5833; 1756-1833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.316.7126.196

Introduction It has been suggested that people exposed to measles in utero may be at high risk of developing Crohn's disease in adulthood. 1 2 Swedish investigators have reported an increased incidence of Crohn's disease in individuals born shortly after a measles epidemic, 3 and they later described four pregnant women with measles, three of whose offspring developed Crohn's disease as adults. 4 Subjects, methods, and results To test this surprisingly strong association we conducted a record linkage study in Denmark. [...]exposure to measles in utero does not seem to be strongly associated with the development of Crohn's disease later in life.