Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease during Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Varies Widely: A Need for Further Education
Table 1
Characteristics of practicing Canadian physicians surveyed regarding the management of IBD during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
All physicians
Gastroenterologists
Other specialists
General practitioners
value
%
%
%
%
Gender
Male
127
69.4
76/97
78.4
9/11
81.8
47/84
56.0
0.005
Female
56
30.6
21/97
21.6
2/11
18.2
37/84
44.0
Training status
Gastroenterologist
97
53.0
/
/
/
/
/
/
General practitioner
75
41.0
/
/
/
/
/
/
Other
11
6.0
/
/
/
/
/
/
Years in practice
<5 years
27
14.8
20/97
20.6
1/11
9.1
6/84
8.0
0.001
5 to 10 years
26
14.2
22/97
22.7
1/11
9.1
3/84
4.0
11 to 20 years
47
25.7
19/97
19.6
3/11
27.3
25/84
33.3
>20 years
83
45.4
36/97
37.1
6/11
54.5
41/84
54.7
Population of city ()
<100,000
46
35.1
7/47
14.9
4/9
44.4
35/75
46.7
0.007
100,000 to 499,999
28
21.4
12/47
25.5
1/9
11.1
15/75
20.0
>500,000
57
43.5
28/47
59.6
4/9
44.4
25/75
33.3
Practice setting ()
Community
127
70.6
48/96
50.0
7/11
63.6
72/84
98.6
<0.001
Academic
53
29.4
48/96
50.0
4/11
36.4
1/73
1.4
Percentage of patients with IBD in practice
<10%
91
49.7
12/97
12.4
6/11
54.5
73/84
97.3
<0.001
10–24%
51
27.9
46/97
47.4
3/11
27.3
2/84
2.7
25–50%
27
14.8
26/97
28.8
1/11
9.1
0
0
>50%
14
7.7
13/97
13.4
1/11
9.1
0
0
Number of IBD patients seen each year
0 to 9
33
18.0
1/97
1.0
3/11
27.3
29/84
38.7
<0.001
10 to 50
66
36.1
18/97
18.6
5/11
45.5
43/84
57.4
51 to 100
18
9.8
15/97
15.5
1/11
9.1
2/84
2.7
101 to 150
18
9.8
18/97
18.6
0
0
0
0
More than 150
48
26.2
45/97
46.4
2/11
18.2
1/84
1.3
Number of pregnant IBD patients managed in past year
None
76
41.5
15/97
15.5
7/11
63.6
54/84
72.0
<0.001
Up to 10
70
38.3
67/97
69.1
1/11
9.1
2/84
2.7
11 and more
37
20.2
15/97
15.5
3/11
27.3
19/84
25.3
= number of responses falling into the response category; = number of physicians who answered the question. Percentages are calculated using the number of physicians who selected the response category as the numerator and the total number of physicians of that training status who provided a response to the question as the denominator. GI: gastroenterologist, GP: general practitioner, and other: other specialists (general internists and surgeons). IBD: inflammatory bowel disease.
