Inflammatory bowel disease in pregnancy

The term inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, two chronic conditions of unknown cause. Whereas the incidence of ulcerative colitis has remained stable, the incidence of Crohn's disease has increased during the past few decades. The consequence of this trend is a growing population of women in their childbearing years with concerns about the effects of IBD on fertility and pregnancy. Important issues concerning a woman with IBD who is pregnant or contemplating pregnancy include inheritance of IBD in the offspring, fertility, the effect of pregnancy on IBD, and, conversely, the effect of IBD on the pregnancy, as well as the safety of drugs on the developing fetus and nursing newborn. A male partner afflicted with IBD also raises concerns regarding fertility and potential terato-genicity of prescribed medications. This article reviews these issues with a focus on recent studies and developments.