IBD Not Linked to Risk for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Overall

THURSDAY, Sept. 24, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not associated with an increased risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy overall, but is associated with an increased risk for preeclampsia, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Lindsay M. Clarke, M.D., from Brigham and Women”s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues conducted a single-center cohort study using electronic health records of singleton pregnancies delivered from 1998 to 2016 to examine whether IBD is associated with the risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Data were included from 364 pregnancies (266 individuals) with IBD and 45,048 pregnancies (32,189 individuals) without IBD. The researchers observed no association for IBD with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy overall. There was an association for IBD with increased odds of preeclampsia (adjusted odds ratio, 1.65), but not with gestational hypertension. Associations were seen with preterm delivery, small for gestational age, and cesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratios, 1.87, 1.72, and 1.72, respectively), but not with other secondary outcomes.

“Given the increased risk of certain adverse perinatal outcomes within this population, this highlights the importance of proactive multidisciplinary care, including high-risk obstetricians,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries.

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