Siobhan Proksell, MD: IBD Treatment for Pregnant Patients

For pregnant women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there can be seemingly endless questions about continuing their treatments during the duration of their pregnancy.

And with many biologics used to treat IBD being new, it is difficult to produce useful data showing this patient population that continuing their treatments is safe and effective.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Siobhan Proksell, MD, assistant professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, explained how gastroenterologists advice pregnant patients with IBD in terms of their treatment and concerns during the course of their pregnancy, particularly with new medications.

Proksell said investigators have gathered data showing both newer treatments like ustekinumab and long-standing IBD medications result in a healthy pregnancy for the overwhelming majority of patients. And as part of the Pregnancy Inflammatory bowel disease And Neonatal Outcomes (PIANO) registry, data collection for all IBD medications in pregnant patients is collected and continuously analyzed.

This data makes it easier for doctors to talk to patients about the risks and benefits of continuing medication.

Proksell recently spoke about this topic during the Institutional Perspectives in Gastroenterology: Inflammatory Bowel Disease event chaired by Maria T. Abreu, MD, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine on August 31.