Investigations or test can I have during pregnancy
As someone with UC or Crohn’s Disease, you may need to have an investigation or test to check on your IBD, especially if you have a flare-up. Make sure your doctor and our IBD team know you are, or may be, pregnant.
Some types of investigation may need to be delayed until after you have the baby.
Ultrasound tests and, after the first trimester, MRI tests are safe to have while pregnant.
Gastroscopy, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy can also be safely carried out in pregnancy, although guidelines suggest that these types of tests should only be done when clearly necessary.
The guidelines also recommend that, where possible, women should have these tests during the second trimester (months 4-6) rather than earlier or later. Investigations that involve x-rays and radiation should normally be avoided by pregnant women unless absolutely essential. This includes CT scans, PET scans, and barium X-ray tests.
