Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 14, 2025
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
Identifying Patient Priorities for Preconception and Pregnancy Counseling in IBD
Aiya Aboubakr1, Alexa Rae Riggs2, Darwin Jimenez3
1Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA.
Background:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly affects women of reproductive age. Many patients lacking knowledge about IBD and reproduction make uninformed decisions, such as voluntary childlessness and medication cessation. Education should be individualized to the patient's knowledge base and include topics of most importance to the patient. Our study aimed to describe the priority rankings of topics selected by patients seeking preconception and pregnancy counseling.
Methods:
As part of an ongoing prospective study, patients with IBD were asked to rank, in order of importance, nine a priori preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum topics they would like addressed by our specialized care team, which includes an IBD physician and a high-risk obstetrician. χ2 and Fisher's exact tests were used to assess associations between clinical and demographic characteristics and priority rankings, and a p value cutoff for significance was set as .05.
Results:
One hundred and fifty-eight women with IBD (mean (IQR) age; 32 (28-37) years) were seen in consultation, and 116 (70 (60%) CD, 43 (37%) UC, and 3 (3%) IBD-U) completed intake forms were analyzed. There were 78 (68%) women seen in the preconception stage, median age 31 (IQR 28-34), and 38 women (32%) were pregnant, median age 32 (IQR 28-33). Safety of IBD medications during pregnancy was most commonly ranked as top priority (40%) for all patients regardless of pregnancy status, followed by control of IBD disease activity and impact on pregnancy (31%), impact of IBD and surgery on fertility (19%), pregnancy outcomes for the baby (18%), mode of delivery (6%), inheritance of IBD (4%), breastfeeding (2%), nutritional health (2%), and vaccines and newborn care (1%). The impact of IBD and surgery on fertility was ranked as the number one priority more often in the preconception group (p value < 0.01) and mode of delivery in the pregnancy group (p value 0.04).
Conclusion:
Safety of IBD medications remains a priority topic for patients seeking preconception and pregnancy counseling.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome III: Medical and Nursing Management
01:29Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Pharmacological Management
Pharmacologic...
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Evaluation
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is classified into subtypes based on the predominant bowel habits as determined by the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS). The subtypes are:
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...
01:21Inflammatory Bowel Disease V: Surgical Management
Here are some common surgical interventions for IBD: