Crohns Disease Family Planning

My boyfriend has crohns disease ad has developed a fear of one day starting a family in fear of passing it down. What are the chances of our baby contracting this, is there a way to avoid it, what can I do to convince him other wise. Please help

Comments for Crohns Disease Family Planning

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Crohn's Disease Family Planning NEW
by: Annette Young

Hi there,

Thanks for writing in, it's a great question and one that affects many people.

Your husband is right unfortunately, there is a greater chance of your children developing Crohn's as a result but less than if you both have Crohn's.

You don't say what treatment your husband is on, if he is on sulfasalazine, he will need to go to his doctor to change the medication as this treatment can actually lower sperm count. If he is on methotrexate, again he will need to seek medical advice as it can be deadly for the fetus and for newborns. He should be off this treatment for at least three months before trying for a baby.

The stats currently indicate that a baby with one parent with Crohn's has about a 9% chance of getting the condition too but to ensure a healthy pregnancy, seek medical advice and try to ensure that your husband is as healthy as possible prior to trying to conceive. Once the baby is born, do check for any symptoms and seek advice if you are worried at all.

Many people with Crohn's in the family go on to have healthy babies but it is good to have all of the information to hand prior to trying and this way, you can make an informed choice as to what you want to do.

There is lots of information which may be of use here:

http://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/crohns-disease/managing-the-effects-of-crohns-disease-during-pregnancy

I hope this helps?

Best wishes,

Annette



crohns disease &family planning
by: Julie

Hello,

My husband has Crohn's disease, he's the only one in his family.
I do not have it. We have 5 children. 2 of our sons have been diagnosed with severe Crohns. I never thought it would be passed on. It has been very difficult for our family but don't let it stop you from the joy of having children. Just be aware it is a possibility and don't overlook the warning signs. We didn't realize at first that that was what was wrong. By the time it was diagnosed they were pretty serious. Look out for children who are small for their age, it is a warning sign.
Thank You
by: Anonymous

Thank you for all your comments. We have decided to push forward on making our family. It is understood that the risk are low since I do not have it and due to flairs it may take us longer then usual to become successful but we are going through with it all the way once he is no longer flairing.
same situation
by: Suzanne

My boyfriend has a severe case of Crohn's disease and wants children so badly; but understandably, my mother (and me, too) are nervous about my getting pregnant because our baby could get this awful disease from his genetics... No one is known to have it in his family, but I am still very worried that it will affect our child since his case is so uncontrollable.
I looked into it
by: Jill

Hello - I have Crohn's and did the same research before getting pregnant as well. If one parent has Crohn's it is about 9%, almost the same as 2 people without. If both people have it , it went up to around 15%. I can understand being afraid of passing this on to your children, I live it every day, but with kids you never know what you are going to get and they are totally worth it!
BF w/ crohns
by: Anonymous

Hello,

As far as he knows he doesn't know who could have it in his family. I did some research of my own and found something that said it was only a 9% chance that our baby would get it because I don't have it and I think it was maybe 50% or a little less if we both had it so now he is at ease and we will just pray that our child won't have it but we will continue to educated ourselves esp if I end up pregnant.
Very good question
by: Vanessa

Hello
I have Crohn's disease and the same things are going through my mind. There are chances but I do not really know what they are. Your bf should talk to his GI about that. DO you know if someone in his family has the disease?.

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