Women's Health
Study Finds Pregnancy Outcomes Differ for Women with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
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Feb 13, 2008 - 5:44:43 PM

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America offers education and support for patients and family members

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - New York, NY, – A recent study supported by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, published in the October 2007 issue of Gastroenterology, found that pregnancy outcomes for women with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis differ from those without these chronic digestive diseases. The study, led by Uma Mahadevan-Velayos, M.D., Chair of Patient Education for the Foundation, and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of Clinical Research at the University of California, San Francisco, Center for Colitis and Crohn's Disease, concluded that women with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are more likely to have an adverse outcome related to pregnancy.

Even women with inactive disease on low risk medications are at increased risk for adverse pregnancy complications, according to the study. “This is an important study that helps understand the impact of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis on pregnancy,” says R. Balfour Sartor, M.D., the Foundation’s Chief Medical Advisor. “Further studies will better define the impact and risks of immunosuppressant medications and biologic therapies on pregnancy outcomes. It is important to note that the vast majority of mothers with these disorders have normal pregnancies and healthy babies.”

Pregnant women and their family members can speak to master’s level health professionals Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm EST, through the Foundation’s Information Resource Center (IRC) that offers disease-specific education support, and treatment information via 888.MY.GUT.PAIN and live chat at www.ccfa.org.

In addition to connecting women living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis to disease-specific education, support, and treatment information, the IRC provides information on community programs and resources, to better help patients access critical support and care they need, close to home. “It is key for the mother with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis to work closely with her gastroenterologist, obstetrician, and pediatrician,” says Dr. Mahadevan-Velayos. “Close management by a team of physicians will help ensure that the pregnancy goes as smoothly as possible for mother and child.”

About Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system. Crohn's disease may attack anywhere from the mouth to the anus, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever and weight loss. Many patients require hospitalization and surgery. These illnesses can cause severe complications, including colon cancer in patients with long-term disease. Some 1.4 million American adults and children suffer from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, with as many as 150,000 under the age of 18. Most people develop the diseases between the ages of 15 and 35.

About the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. The Foundation ranks third among leading health non-profits in the percentage of expense devoted to research toward a cure, with more than 83 cents of every dollar the Foundation spends goes to mission-critical programs. The Foundation consistently meets the standards of organizations that monitor charities, including the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (give.org) and the American Institute of Philanthropy (charitywatch.org). For more information, contact the Foundation at 800-932-2423 or visit www.ccfa.org.

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