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Bowels and Babies
The Effects of Chronic Bowel Disease on Pregnancy
By Jennifer Lacey
Over-the-counter stool softeners such as Citrucel, Metamucil and Senokot also can be used, depending upon a woman's gastrointestinal tolerance. The addition of high fiber foods may help ease some symptoms in pregnant women who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. However, this is not always the best thing to do. "If a patient with ulcerative colitis adds roughage to their diet, it will increase their bowel movements, meaning more frequent trips to the bathroom," says Dr. Abreu. "This can lead to rectal bleeding."
"There is no genetic test that will tell us if your child will inherit IBD," says Dr. Abreu. However, there has been research that indicates certain forms of IBD, like Crohn's, can be genetic.
Dr. Pinette concludes that there appears to be a genetic predisposition for IBD. "The risk of a child born to a parent with this disease may be increased by a factor of 10 times to 20 times the baseline risk," he says.
Dr. Dillard agrees. "There is an increased incidence of IBD in first order relatives, which means that you would be at a increased risk if your mother, father or a sibling developed IBD," he says.
When the time comes for a pregnant woman with IBD/IBS to deliver her baby, there are several factors to consider, including her condition prior to delivery. "In general, we like to deliver these patients vaginally if possible," says Dr. Pinette.
With women who suffer from fistulas or scarred/short perineums, Dr. Pinette believes that a Cesarean delivery may be advised, in order to avoid any further damage.
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