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Inflammatory bowel disease in mother or father and neonatal outcome
1Paediatric Department, Orebro Medical Centre Hospital, Sweden. jonasludvigsson@yahoo.com
Insights
Maternal ulcerative colitis (UC) is linked to lower infant birthweight, potentially increasing future disease risk. However, most parents with UC or Crohn's disease (CD) have healthy babies.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Maternal inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a known risk factor for low birthweight and preterm birth.
- Low birthweight in newborns is associated with increased risk of adult diseases.
- IBD encompasses conditions like ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of maternal or paternal IBD on infant birthweight and pregnancy duration.
- To adjust for potential confounding factors in assessing the relationship between IBD and neonatal outcomes.
- To determine if maternal IBD influences specific neonatal outcomes such as birthweight and gestational age.
Main Methods:
- Prospective enrollment of 10,399 mother-infant pairs in the All Babies In Southeast Sweden (ABIS) project.
- Collection of data on birth week, preterm birth, birthweight, birth length, caesarean section, and neonatal hospital care.
- Statistical analysis to adjust for confounders and assess the association between maternal/paternal IBD and neonatal outcomes.
Main Results:
- Maternal UC was significantly associated with lower infant birthweight (adjusted difference: -330 g).
- Infants born to mothers treated with Mesalazine or steroids for UC had even lower birthweights.
- Maternal Crohn's disease (CD) did not show a significant association with reduced birthweight.
- Neither maternal UC nor CD affected pregnancy duration.
- Paternal UC or CD had no discernible impact on neonatal outcomes compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Maternal UC negatively impacts infant birthweight, potentially predisposing infants to future health issues.
- While maternal UC can affect birthweight, most individuals with UC or CD can expect healthy pregnancies and newborns.
- The study highlights the importance of considering maternal IBD in neonatal health assessments.
Unlabelled:
Even a minor decrease in birthweight predisposes to adult disease. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the mother is a risk factor for low birthweight and preterm infants. This study investigated the effect of IBD in the mother or father, adjusting for confounders, on the newborn infant, with the focus on birthweight and pregnancy duration. A total of 10399 single-birth mother-infant pairs was prospectively enrolled within the ABIS project (All Babies In Southeast Sweden). Outcome measures included birth week, preterm birth (<37 wk), birthweight, low birthweight (<2500 g), birth length, caesarean section and neonatal hospital care. Ulcerative colitis (UC) in the mother was associated with lower birthweight in the infant (adjusted difference: -330 g, adjusted 95% confidence interval: -509 to -150 g, p < 0.001), and with even lower birthweight when the mother was treated with Mesalazine or steroids. No decrease in birthweight was seen in infants whose mother suffered from Crohn's disease (CD) (adjusted difference: -65 g, adjusted 95% confidence interval: -354 to 224 g, p > 0.05). Maternal UC or CD did not affect the pregnancy duration. The neonatal outcome of infants whose father suffered from UC and CD did not differ from the control group.
Conclusion:
UC in the mother affects the birthweight of the infant, which may predispose to future disease in the infant. Most women and men with UC and CD can, however, expect a healthy child with neither preterm birth nor low birthweight.