Fertility Hope for Women with Crohn's & Colitis: New Study Shows High Success Rates

Good news for women living with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis: a groundbreaking new study reveals that nearly three out of four women with these chronic conditions achieved pregnancy after undergoing fertility treatment. The early data from the WIsDoM Registry, presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting in Nashville, offers a significant ray of hope for those navigating the complexities of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and reproductive health. Historically, women with IBD have faced unique challenges in family planning, often worrying that their condition, medications, or prior surgeries might hinder their ability to conceive, with some even opting for voluntary childlessness. This new research, led by Dr. Eugenia Shmidt and Dr. Zoë Gottlieb, directly addresses these fears, showing surprisingly high success rates, especially with embryo transfer (73% success) compared to intrauterine insemination (10%). This suggests that advanced fertility treatments can effectively bypass many physical barriers previously associated with IBD-related infertility. While these findings from the WIsDoM study are preliminary, they are a powerful step towards better patient counseling and more confident reproductive choices for women with Crohn's or colitis. Medical professionals are now encouraged to refer women with IBD to fertility specialists earlier, particularly those who have been trying to conceive for six months or more, or who have a history of pelvic IBD surgery. The data, while not yet changing official guidelines, is poised to reshape how patients and doctors approach family planning in the IBD community.