Pregnancy in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases-A Literature Review

• Published in: Life (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13; no. 2; p. 475
• Main Authors: Grigorescu, Raluca Roxana, Husar-Sburlan, Ioana Alexandra, Rosulescu, Georgiana, Bobirca, Anca, Cerban, Razvan, Bobirca, Florin, Florescu, Madalina Marieta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.02.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Birth control; Births; Bowel disease; Breast feeding; breastfeeding; Care and treatment; Childlessness; Diagnosis; Drug withdrawal; Erectile dysfunction; Evolution; Families & family life; Family planning; Females; Fertility; Health aspects; Infertility; Inflammation; inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Intestine; Laparoscopy; Literature reviews; Low-birth-weight; Malnutrition; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Premature birth; Remission (Medicine); Reproductive technologies; Review; Surgery; Systematic review; Womens health; Young adults; Romania; inflammatory bowel disease; pregnancy; breastfeeding
• ISSN: 2075-1729; 2075-1729
• DOI: 10.3390/life13020475

In recent years, we have faced an increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially among young people, affecting them during their reproductive years. The paucity of data and reduced knowledge regarding the evolution of the disease during pregnancy and the adverse effects of the therapy on the mother and infant increase voluntary childlessness in this group of patients. Depending on the type of IBD, severity and surgical or medical management, this can negatively affect the pregnancy. C-sections and the risk of low-birth-weight babies are higher in women with IBD, independent of active/inactive disease, while preterm birth, stillbirth and miscarriage are associated with disease activity. In the last period, medicinal therapy has evolved, and new molecules have been developed for better control of the lesions, but the effect on pregnancy and breastfeeding is still controversial. We conducted this review by studying the literature and recent research in order to have a better image of the practical management of IBD during pregnancy.