Inflammatory Bowel Disease Tied to Higher Preeclampsia Odds but Not Overall Pregnancy Hypertension
A single-center study of over 45,000 pregnancies found no overall link between inflammatory bowel disease and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, but IBD patients had a 65% higher adjusted odds of preeclampsia. The condition was also associated with increased risks of preterm delivery, small-for-gestational-age infants, and cesarean delivery. The authors recommend proactive multidisciplinary care for pregnant women with IBD.
The study drew on electronic health records from Brigham and Women's Hospital, covering singleton pregnancies delivered between 1998 and 2016. Among more than 45,000 total pregnancies, researchers identified 364 pregnancies in 266 individuals with IBD, comparing them against over 32,000 non-IBD controls. Adjusted odds ratios accounted for potential confounding variables when calculating risk estimates.
Beyond preeclampsia, IBD patients faced elevated risks of preterm delivery, small-for-gestational-age infants, and cesarean delivery, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.87, 1.72, and 1.72 respectively. Gestational hypertension alone showed no significant association. The findings appeared in the September issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, with authors emphasizing coordinated care involving high-risk obstetric specialists.
This research could influence prenatal care protocols for women with IBD, who may benefit from heightened surveillance for preeclampsia during pregnancy. Clinicians might adjust monitoring frequency or referral patterns based on these findings, potentially reducing maternal and fetal complications. The single-center design suggests broader validation would strengthen confidence before widespread practice changes, but the large cohort size lends meaningful weight to the observed associations.