Population Based Paternity Rate and Partner Birth Outcomes Among Utah Men With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Genetics

Background:

• Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) affect numerous men of reproductive age.
• The impact of these conditions on male reproductive outcomes remains largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of CD and UC on male reproductive outcomes.
• To compare paternity rates and birth outcomes between men with CD/UC and their male siblings.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study using the Utah Population Database.
• Identified male patients with CD (1,245) and UC (1,368) and their male-sibling controls.
• Analyzed birth outcome data including paternity rates, congenital malformations, perinatal complications, birth weight, and gestational length.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in paternity rates were observed between UC patients (66%) and siblings (61%), or CD patients (58%) and siblings (57%).
• Birth outcomes for partners of men with UC or CD showed no significant differences in congenital malformations, perinatal complications, birth weight, or gestational length compared to controls.
• Specific data points include no differences in congenital malformations (UC 6% vs. 6%; CD 7% vs. 6%) or mean birth weight (UC 3,347g vs. 3,357g; CD 3,276g vs. 3,324g).

Conclusions:

• Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis do not appear to affect paternity rates in Utah men.
• Reproductive outcomes for female partners of men with UC or CD are comparable to those of male-sibling controls.
• These findings suggest that UC and CD do not pose a significant risk to male reproductive health in the studied population.