Counseling to Optimize Adherence in Expectant Mothers With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that comprises two subtypes, Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Because the risk of IBD is greatest during the third decade of life, its impact for women is during the reproductive years. Women with inflammatory bowel disease are at a 2-fold higher risk of adverse outcomes during pregnancy as compared to the general population. Pregnancy is an especially vulnerable time for women with IBD, and out of misguided concerns that medications may confer unnecessary harms to their fetus, many women often stop taking life savings medications; without realizing that this sub-optimal adherence could actually lead to life threatening complications for them and their fetus. Counseling pregnant women with IBD is therefore an important step in improving medication adherence. The investigators hypothesize that counseling sessions with an IBD nurse that incorporates motivational interviewing and telemedicine-based follow-up sessions tailored to individual needs will improve medication adherence and pregnancy outcomes. The following specific aims are to be addressed by this multi-center randomized clinical trial comparing individual nurse-based counseling to standard of care: Specific Aim #1: To assess whether patient-centered counseling incorporating motivational interviewing and telemedicine-based follow-up by an IBD nurse leads to improved medication adherence during pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes Specific Aim #2: To validate the use of self-reported medication adherence during pregnancy in the IBD population