Infants born to women with inflammatory bowel disease who are exposed to corticosteroids in utero risk increased rates of adverse events, warn the authors of a prospective cohort study.

The findings emphasise the importance of preconception counselling to confirm remission and maintaining stable steroid-sparing therapy during pregnancy, the US team says.

Women enrolled in the national Pregnancy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Neonatal Outcomes Registry were followed from four weeks before conception to the end of the baby’s first year.

A total of 1490 mothers with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and singleton pregnancies across 30 US centres were enrolled, with 1431 live births recorded.