Management of inflammatory bowel disease in the pregnant patient.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder affecting young adults in their reproductive years. Many young women with IBD express concern about the effect their disease will have on fertility, pregnancy course and fetal development. This article presents an approach to management of IBD in the pregnant patient, including counseling and investigation, and summarizes existing data on the safety of medications used to treat IBD in pregnancy and breastfeeding.