Want to be a Father with Crohn's

Congrats Sejinro!!! I believe if I am not mistaken, but we have had other dad's on this forum have healthy babies while on 6mp. We have had lots of CD Moms have healthy babies after taking meds such as Pred, 6mp/Imuran, 5 asa's and even Remicade and Humira during their pregnancies. So I think all should be okay, especially since your wife doesn't have the disease. Hugs!

I am a dad with Crohns of 4 healthy (knock wood) kids. Before the first I was on 6MP but doc said to go off "just in case". That was 8 years ago. I went back on after conceiving. For the second and third, same dr said there was new data and I could keep on Imuran which I had switched to but it's very similar to 6MP. So it all seemed to work out for me. Some meds may not harm the baby but could lower sperm count making it harder to get pregnant so maybe check out with the docs.

I will say having a new baby will be very stressful, and coupled with lack of sleep which we crohnies desperately need, it may send you into a flare. I had a real bad flare after our first child was born. Being aware of it for the others, making sure I took care of myself, helped with the others but still some flares.

Good luck with starting your family!

There is just so much love and joy you can make and enjoy with your children. The love and joy has to be good medicine. I know my spirit would be sicker (and probably my guts) if I did not have kids.
Dave

Last year, my wife and I were very interested trying to have a second child. We have a daughter, and we kinda wanted to try for a boy. We've had three miscarriages around our daughter's birth. I have been taking Remicade, Pentasa, & 6MP for about 2.5 years (about a year and a half at that time). I had seen some articles regarding concerns when taking Remicade and/or 6MP and trying to conceive a child. I talked to my doctor and he did not want me to change my medications because I've been in remission since early 2009. One of the articles that I had seen said that 6MP could cause low sperm counts and motility issues. My wife's OB wrote orders to have a sperm count, motility, and mobility study. My numbers were all considered normal but on the low end of each of the scales. I figured that if it was gonna happen, then my counts wouldn't matter. Well, we are now expecting our second child (a boy) in November.

Congratulations on starting a family!!! It is nice to see that you are researching it so well, and taking the precautions even though you are not the one carrying the child and giving birth.

From what my doctor has told me (I am female, don't know if this makes a difference) I have a 7% chance of passing Crohn's on to children, and a 40% chance if I conceive with someone who has IBD.

about the medication your are on, I am sure it is just best to talk to your Dr. about that. I know Methotrexate (for women at least) is usually fatal to the fetus, or causes deformities and other problems. I stayed off of Methotrexate for that reason! I am on Imuran (sister to 6MP) and it does not seem to have as many bad side effects.

Good luck and best wishes, and know I am sending positive thoughts to you and your wife!! And congratulations to all of the Crohn's Mommies and Daddy's out there! I am 21, and want children one day and you all give me great hope.

Hey, I found this on a website, I have been meaning to research it further.


Inflammatory Bowel Disease, A Guide for Patients and their Families, by Stanley H. Stein, M.D. and Richard P. Rood, M.D., they indicate If one parent has IBD, there is approximately an 8% to 10% chance of inheriting the disease, and according to one study, if two parents have IBD the likelihood of inheriting the disease increases to up to 36%. The book doesn't indicate or give reference to it's study, but the book is An Official Publication of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Inc

I can't find the website where I got the 7% and 40% numbers, but all of the studies seem to have similar numbers.