Conditions We Treat

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term for chronic inflammatory conditions affecting your gut (digestive tract including intestines). With IBD, people experience ongoing inflammation of their intestines. Common symptoms of IBD include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stools, fatigue, anemia, and weight loss.

At Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, we care for pregnant individuals with all types of IBD—from simple to complex—in coordination with the Stanford Health Care providers. These include the following:

Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease causes inflammation anywhere along your digestive tract, most typically in the small intestine and the beginning of your large intestine. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss, fever, joint pain, and rashes. Although there is no cure for Crohn’s disease, there are highly effective treatments that can help you feel well and enjoy life, including while you are pregnant.

Ulcerative colitis

This form of inflammatory bowel disease can result in ulcers that produces pus, bleeding, and mucus, along with inflammation. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, bloody stools, and abdominal pain, but it can also cause weight loss, fatigue, anemia, skin lesions, rashes, and other symptoms.

Other forms of IBD

Sometimes, IBD is not easy to classify. When this happens, it’s called IBD unclassified. In other words, your type of IBD doesn’t fall neatly into one category. Also, some people have lymphocytic colitis—when certain immune cells called lymphocytes unexpectedly exist in the inner lining of the large intestine.