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Prenatal Acid-Suppressive Drug Exposure Not Clearly Linked to Childhood IBD: JAMA
Many people worry that medications taken during pregnancy could affect a child’s long-term health. This large study suggests that prenatal use of acid-suppressive drugs is not clearly linked to a meaningful increase in childhood IBD, which may reassure parents and clinicians when treatment is needed.
Parents and caregivers, pregnant patients or those planning pregnancy, pediatricians, gastroenterologists, and researchers studying early-life risk factors for IBD.
What To Know
A large South Korean cohort study published in JAMA Network Open found no clear or clinically meaningful link between prenatal exposure to acid-suppressive medications and childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease.
After propensity matching and sibling analyses of over 1.8 million mother–child pairs, researchers observed a modest relative association with IBD overall and specifically Crohn’s disease, but no association with ulcerative colitis; absolute risk differences were minimal.
The study used national claims data from 2009–2017 with follow-up through 2023 and included subgroup and sibling comparisons to address confounding. Authors note limitations such as possible underdiagnosis, reliance on claims data, potential unmeasured confounding, and missing over-the-counter medication use.
The investigators conclude that any potential risk from prenatal acid-suppressive drug exposure is likely small and should be balanced against the need for maternal treatment. This report summarizes the article’s findings; it does not provide medical advice.
If you are pregnant or planning pregnancy and have questions about acid-suppressive therapy, discuss risks and benefits with your clinician.
The study is observational and based on administrative claims; sibling analyses reduced but cannot eliminate all confounding. Absolute risk differences were very small, so even statistically significant relative increases may have little clinical impact.
