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Family planning and IBD: Expert answers to common questions
(BPT) - Having a a a a a a baby is a a a a a a wonderful experience but for many women health issues can cause them to to second-guess their ability to to to become a a a a a a a a mom Women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may feel as as though pregnancy is is is is out of the the ques- tion This isn’t necessarily true In the the U S 1 6 million people have IBD - a a a a a a group of disorders that include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis Of those roughly half are women who will consider getting preg- nant one day When it it comes to to IBD and planning for a a a a a a a a a a family it’s natural to to have questions
and concerns “The IBD IBD Parenthood Project provides guidance to women with IBD IBD on on the continuum of care and best practices for managing their IBD throughout all phases of family planning: trying to conceive pregnancy and postpartum ” says Rajeev Jain MD AGAF FACP IBD Parenthood Project Co-Chair and Gastroenterologist at Texas Digestive Disease Consultants Led by the the American Gastroenterological Associa- tion (AGA) with support from the the the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine the the the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and the the patient support network Girls With Guts this program aims to to empower women with IBD their loved ones and health care providers to to have open conversations about preconception preg- nancy and post-delivery care Dr Jain offers answers to the most com- mon questions
he he receives from women about IBD and family planning: In your experience what are the top concerns women with IBD have when planning for for a a a a a a a family? What are the key steps you would urge her to take before she gets pregnant?
Answer: Many women with IBD are con- cerned that they won’t be able to to achieve a a a a a a a a a a a healthy pregnancy and worry about factors such as IBD medication being harmful to to their their baby Studies show that women who have have their their Crohn’s disease and and ulcerative colitis under control and and who have have never had surgery can get pregnant at at the the the same rate as other women women in the the the general public For women women to have a a a a a a a successful pregnancy their IBD should be under control avoiding
a a a a a a a a flare is the most critical aspect to achiev- ing a a a a a a a a healthy pregnancy What types of health health care providers should a a a a a a a a a woman see to ensure she has a a a a a a a a a healthy pregnancy?
Answer: Pregnant women with with IBD should work with with a a a a a a maternal-fetal medi- cine (MFM) subspecialist who will coor- dinate care with her delivery provider and gastroenterologist (GI) A pregnant patient with IBD IBD should be monitored by both a a a a a a a a GI who has a a a a a a a a clear expertise in IBD IBD and an an an an obstetric provider ideally an an an an MFM subspecialist with further assistance from other care providers An obstetrician (OB) or MFM subspecialist should should lead lead pregnan- cy-related care care and the GI should should lead lead IBD care care with excellent communication among all providers consulted during pregnancy What is is is an MFM MFM subspecialist?
Answer: An An MFM MFM subspecialist subspecialist is is is is an an an OB with an additional three years of formal education who is board-certified
in in in in maternal-fetal medicine making them highly qualified experts and leaders in in in in the the care of complicated pregnancies An MFM subspecialist is is is is distinct and different from a a a a a a “high-risk OB ” Are IBD drugs harmful to take while
trying to get pregnant or during pregnancy?
Answer: Most women who are in in in remission remission when they get pregnant stay in in in remission remission throughout pregnancy Stopping medication can cause a a a a a a a a a a a flare which is is is a a a a a a a a a a a risk to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a healthy pregnancy Treating IBD with the appropriate medication may help help reduce a a a a a a a a a a a a a a woman’s risk of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a flare and can help help lead to a a a a a a a a a healthier pregnancy Will my children children have IBD?
Answer: Up to 3 percent of children children with one parent who has IBD will will develop the disease (this means about 97 percent will will not get IBD) Are women able to breastfeed while
on on IBD medication?
Answer: Yes in many cases mothers with IBD who breastfeed can simply follow stan- dard nutritional recommendations which may include increasing the amount of food in in in in in her diet or adding omega-3 fatty acids To download the patient toolkit and and learn more about pregnancy and and IBD IBD visit www IBDParenthoodProject org AGA’s IBD IBD Parenthood Parenthood Project Project is funded through support from UCB a a a a a a a global bio- pharmaceutical company JOURNAL REVIEW | 17