Table 1

Maternal characteristics at the time of childbirth (n=1000)

Controls
(n=564)
Anti-TNF-α monotherapy
(n=136)
P valueThiopurine monotherapy
(n=240)
P valueAnti-TNF-α and thiopurine
(n=60)
P value
Median maternal age at birth (IQR)32 (29–35)30 (28–33)<0.0132 (29–35)0.2632 (30–34)0.38
Education level (%)
 High270 (51)54 (45)0.27111 (50)0.7531 (53)0.68
 Secondary225 (43)57 (48)0.3695 (42)124 (43)1
 Low34 (6)9 (7)0.6918 (8)0.432 (4)0.56
Diagnosis (%)
 Crohn’s disease289 (51)112 (82)<0.01170 (71)<0.0142 (70)<0.01
 Ulcerative colitis252 (45)22 (16)<0.0166 (27)<0.0115 (25)<0.01
 IBD unclassified23 (4)2 (2)0.25 (2)0.213 (5)0.73
Disease location CD (montreal) (%)
 L1 Ileal43 (15)15 (14)0.8720 (12)0.337 (18)0.64
 L2 Colonic73 (26)23 (22)0.4340 (24)0.667 (18)0.33
 L3 Ileocolonic170 (59)69 (64)0.42111 (64)0.2826 (64)0.61
Disease behaviour CD (montreal) (%)
 B1 non-stricturing non penetrating136 (50)61 (56)0.3778 (47)0.4316 (40)0.24
 B2 stricturing48 (18)9 (8)0.0227 (16)0.73 (8)0.11
 B3 penetrating47 (18)20 (18)0.8840 (25)0.1115 (37)<0.01
 B2 + B3 stricturing and penetrating37 (14)19 (17)0.4322 (12)0.896 (15)0.81
 Perianal fistulising disease CD (%)67 (24)35 (32)0.1341 (24)0.9121 (54)<0.01
Disease extent UC/IBDU (montreal) (%)
 E1 proctitis86 (34)2 (9)0.0215 (23)0.12 (12)0.1
 E2 left-sided colitis69 (27)6 (26)124 (37)0.173 (19)0.57
 E3 pancolitis99 (39)15 (65)0.0327 (40)0.7811 (69)0.03
 Disease duration in years (IQR)8 (5–13)9 (5–12)0.777 (5–12)0.058 (5–12)0.34
Concomitant IBD medication use (%)
 Systemic steroid (alone or in combination with 5-ASA)79 (14)24 (18)0.2846 (19)0.076 (10)0.55
 5-ASA (no steroids)256 (45)6 (4)<0.0155 (23)<0.018 (13)<0.01
 No concomitant IBD medication229 (41)106 (78)<0.01139 (58)<0.0146 (77)<0.01
 IBD abdominal surgery prior to pregnancy (%)145 (26)36 (27)0.9158 (24)0.6610 (17)0.16
 Nulliparous (%)275 (49)77 (57)0.08132 (55)0.1133 (56)0.34
 Folic acid intake (%)506 (94)123 (99)0.01209 (91)0.1649 (93)0.56
  • Study groups were compared with the controls. The Bonferroni correction was applied to adjust for multiple testing. A statistically significant difference was defined as a P<0.02.

  • 5-ASA, 5-aminosalicylic acid; CD, Crohn’s disease; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; IBDU, inflammatory bowel disease unclassified; IQR, interquartile range; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; UC, ulcerative colitis.