Global Consensus Statement on the Management of Pregnancy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy can be a complex and risk filled event for women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). High-quality studies in this population are lacking, with limited data on medications approved to treat IBD during pregnancy. For patients, limited knowledge surrounding pregnancy impacts pregnancy rates, medication adherence, and outcomes. Limited provider knowledge leads to highly varied practices in care affected by local dogma, available resources, individual interpretation of the literature, and fear of harming the fetus. The variations in guidelines by different societies and countries reflect this and lead to confusion for physicians and patients alike. The Global Consensus Consortium is a group of 39 IBD and content experts and 7 patient advocates from 6 continents who convened to review and assess current data and come to an agreement on best practices based on these data. METHODS: The GRADE process was used when sufficient published data were available and the RAND process in those instances where expert opinion was needed to guide consistent practice. Recommendations were informed by the guiding principle that maternal health best supports infant health. RESULTS: The topics were divided into 10 categories with 34 GRADE recommendations and 35 Consensus statements. DISCUSSION: Overall, the goal of the group was to provide data-driven and practical guidance to improve the care of women with IBD around the globe based on the best available research.