Registry Data Shows High Pregnancy Rates After Fertility Treatment for Women With IBD
Nearly three in four women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who underwent assisted reproduction achieved pregnancy, according to early registry data presented at the American College of Gastroenterology 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. 73% of women in the prospective study who underwent intrauterine insemination, embryo transfer, or both successfully conceived.
Researchers analyzed data from the WIsDoM registry, which launched in 2021 across more than 30 sites in the United States and Canada. The study enrolled 421 women aged 18 to 45 with IBD who planned to conceive within 15 months. Among them, 67 women underwent at least one type of fertility treatment, providing a detailed look at reproductive outcomes in a patient population often affected by reduced fertility.
Embryo Transfer Outperforms Insemination Alone in Trial Attempts
Out of 67 women who sought treatment, 52 attempted conception using intrauterine insemination (IUI) alone, or embryo transfer (ET) with or without IUI. These patients completed 97 distinct treatment attempts, divided between 49 IUI procedures and 48 embryo transfers. Pregnancy outcomes varied significantly between the two methods, according to the findings presented by researchers.
Embryo transfer yielded an 85% success rate among the 39 women who used it, resulting in 33 pregnancies. In contrast, IUI alone achieved a 38% success rate, with 5 of 13 women conceiving. Measured per attempt, embryo transfer succeeded in 73% of tries, compared with a 10% success rate for IUI alone. The data remain preliminary and come from a small group of women.
Prior Pelvic Surgery and Active Disease Do Not Block Success
Neither active disease nor prior IBD-related surgery showed a significant negative association with treatment outcomes in the registry data. Among nine women in the study who had previous pelvic IBD surgery, all seven who underwent embryo transfer became pregnant, while neither of the two women who tried insemination alone achieved pregnancy. Researchers acknowledged that this surgical subgroup remains too small to support broad statistical conclusions.
Led by Eugenia Shmidt, University of Minnesota, and Zoë S. Gottlieb, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, the study team emphasized that assisted reproductive technology offers a viable path for patients with complex surgical histories. The CDC estimates that 2.4 million to 3.1 million Americans live with IBD.
Specialist Referral Timelines and Medication Safety Guidance
Physicians generally aim to get the disease under control first and review each medication, since many IBD treatments are considered compatible with pregnancy. Shmidt stated during the presentation that women with IBD should receive a referral to a fertility specialist after six months of trying to conceive, or after three months for patients older than 40. Women with prior surgeries involving the rectum may benefit from even earlier specialist evaluation.
Registry data showed that women who pursued fertility treatment tended to be older, with a median age of 34 compared with 32 for untreated patients, and had tried to conceive for a median of 11 months versus 2 months. Experts advise patients to maintain prescribed medical therapies, as many IBD medications remain compatible with pregnancy and stopping treatment abruptly can trigger dangerous flares.
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