Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2024 Jun 29:izae132. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izae132. Online ahead of print.

Sonia Friedman ^1 2 3, Caroline Thingholm Thorarinsson ^2 3, Mette Wod ^2 3, Jens Fedder ⁴, Bente Mertz Nørgård ^1 2 3

Author information

¹Gastroenterology Division, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston Massachusetts, USA.

²Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.

³Research Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

⁴Center of Andrology and Fertility, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.

Abstract

Background: Only about 30% of conceptions end in live births, yet there are little data on paternal causes of pregnancy loss. Men with inflammatory bowel disease may have multiple disease-related issues that may affect fertility. We aimed to examine pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing assisted reproduction whose male partners had Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Methods: This nationwide study included all embryo transfers registered in the Danish Assisted Reproduction Registry from January 2, 2006, to September 3, 2019. The exposed cohort included embryo transfers from couples in which the male partners had Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. The unexposed cohort included embryo transfers in which male partners did not have inflammatory bowel disease.

Results: For fathers with ulcerative colitis, the adjusted odds ratio for a positive biochemical pregnancy (positive human chorionic gonadotropin) was 1.14 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92-1.42), for a clinical pregnancy (positive vaginal ultrasonography at 7-8 weeks) was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.59-1.40), and for a live birth was 0.99 (95% CI, 0.71-1.60). For fathers with Crohn's disease, the adjusted odds ratio for a biochemical pregnancy was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.63-1.09), for a clinical pregnancy was 0.58 (95% CI, 0.34-0.97), and for a live birth was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.51-1.55).

Conclusions: These findings may indicate that partners of men with Crohn's disease may have an increased risk of early pregnancy loss. Future studies should confirm these results and examine the impact of paternal medications, paternal disease activity, and other factors associated with chronic inflammatory bowel disease.