Many patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are concerned about passing the disease onto their children. In this short video from My Health Specialist, Consultant General and gastrointestinal surgeon, Dr. Ian Mitchell, explains that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is generally not an inherited disease but there are many cases where Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis do run in families suggesting a genetic link.

Four women discuss what their pregnancy was like with inflammatory bowel disease. 

For most IBD patients, the development of the disease is down to other aspects such as environmental factors, and physiological factors but to date, doctors are unsure of the exact cause (or causes) of the condition, although there are some known risk factors which include age, smoking, ethnicity, and various medications.

Read about 10 potential risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease here.

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