JUNE 2, 2023

Improving the Safety of Endoscopy Procedures in Pregnant Patients

Waqar Qureshi, MD, FRCP (UK), FACG, FASGE

Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas

Although about 20,000 gastrointestinal endoscopies (0.4% of all endoscopies) are performed in pregnant patients in the United States each year,1 endoscopy in this setting often causes anxiety and hesitation for both the physician and patient. These reactions are understandable given the paucity of safety data on endoscopy for the fetus during the procedure. Both mother and baby are at risk