Novel Use of the Crohn's Disease Exclusion Diet Plus Partial Enteral Nutrition for the Treatment of Crohn's Disease During Pregnancy

Abstract

The Crohn's Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED) with partial enteral nutrition (PEN) is an emerging treatment option for Crohn's disease (CD). A 35-year-old pregnant woman presented with newly diagnosed ileal CD. At 14/40 gestation, CDED + PEN was prescribed without drug therapy. Outcomes included Harvey-Bradshaw Index, weight, and bowel wall thickness/Limberg score measured on intestinal ultrasound (IUS). In this patient, CDED + PEN achieved clinical and biochemical remission, improvements on IUS, gestational weight gain, and healthy birth weight without drug therapy. Sustained remission was achieved postpartum. Our case highlights the potential effectiveness of CDED + PEN to induce remission for active CD during pregnancy.