Impact of obstetric cholestasis on fetal outcome – An observational study

Background: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) or obstetric cholestasis (OC), while classified as a pregnancy dermatosis, is in fact the most common liver disease of pregnancy associated with significant fetal mortality and morbidity, as well as lifelong health risks for the offspring. Olde...

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Main Authors: Sheema Posh, Shaheera Ajaz, Beenish Jeelani, Rabia Khurshid
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2020-01-01
Series:Journal of the Scientific Society
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jscisociety.com/article.asp?issn=0974-5009;year=2020;volume=47;issue=1;spage=28;epage=32;aulast=Posh
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author Sheema Posh
Shaheera Ajaz
Beenish Jeelani
Rabia Khurshid
author_facet Sheema Posh
Shaheera Ajaz
Beenish Jeelani
Rabia Khurshid
author_sort Sheema Posh
collection DOAJ
description Background: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) or obstetric cholestasis (OC), while classified as a pregnancy dermatosis, is in fact the most common liver disease of pregnancy associated with significant fetal mortality and morbidity, as well as lifelong health risks for the offspring. Older studies using biochemical abnormalities to diagnose OC have reported a perinatal mortality rate of 10%–15%. This has been reduced to 3.5% or less in more recent studies using policies of active management. ICP is relatively benign to women, but it has been reported to have important fetal implications with increased risk of respiratory distress, preterm delivery, low birth weight, meconium staining of amniotic fluid, fetal bradycardia, fetal distress, and fetal demise. Objective: The objective was to study the impact of OC on fetal outcome. Materials and Methods: The present study was a comparative study carried out on 55 pregnant patients who presented with OC of pregnancy between 30 weeks and 40 weeks of gestation. It was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar, from June 2019 to November 2019. The study participants were classified into Group A: total bile acid level (TBA) <40 μmol/l and Group B: TBA >40 μmol/l. The fetal outcome was studied in terms of respiratory distress, low birth weight, stillbirth, and intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD). Results: Out of 55 patients diagnosed with ICP, 35 patients belonged to Group A with TBA <40 μmol/l and 20 patients belonged to Group B with TBA >40 μmol/l. In Group A, only five (14.2%) cases of fetal complications were reported, among which three (60%) fetuses had respiratory distress and two (40%) had low birth weight. Most of the fetal complications occurred in Group B patients with TBA >40 μmol/l, among which ten (55.5%) fetuses had respiratory distress, five (27.7%) fetuses had low birth weight, and there was one (5.5%) stillbirth and two (11.1%) IUFDs. Conclusion: ICP is a relatively common condition that occurs in pregnancy as a consequence of the cholestatic effect of raised estrogen and progesterone in genetically susceptible women. Most of the fetal complications occur in those with higher bile acid pool. The agents that reduce maternal bile acids may reduce fetal complications, but if the mechanism of fetal death involves bile salt-induced fetal arrhythmias without any placental insufficiency, it may be that such monitoring will not be effective in preventing ICP-associated fetal loss.
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spelling doaj.art-c9d768972a8b43128a4c6f2d4242c8702022-12-22T03:39:43ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of the Scientific Society0974-50092020-01-01471283210.4103/jss.JSS_18_20Impact of obstetric cholestasis on fetal outcome – An observational studySheema PoshShaheera AjazBeenish JeelaniRabia KhurshidBackground: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) or obstetric cholestasis (OC), while classified as a pregnancy dermatosis, is in fact the most common liver disease of pregnancy associated with significant fetal mortality and morbidity, as well as lifelong health risks for the offspring. Older studies using biochemical abnormalities to diagnose OC have reported a perinatal mortality rate of 10%–15%. This has been reduced to 3.5% or less in more recent studies using policies of active management. ICP is relatively benign to women, but it has been reported to have important fetal implications with increased risk of respiratory distress, preterm delivery, low birth weight, meconium staining of amniotic fluid, fetal bradycardia, fetal distress, and fetal demise. Objective: The objective was to study the impact of OC on fetal outcome. Materials and Methods: The present study was a comparative study carried out on 55 pregnant patients who presented with OC of pregnancy between 30 weeks and 40 weeks of gestation. It was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar, from June 2019 to November 2019. The study participants were classified into Group A: total bile acid level (TBA) <40 μmol/l and Group B: TBA >40 μmol/l. The fetal outcome was studied in terms of respiratory distress, low birth weight, stillbirth, and intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD). Results: Out of 55 patients diagnosed with ICP, 35 patients belonged to Group A with TBA <40 μmol/l and 20 patients belonged to Group B with TBA >40 μmol/l. In Group A, only five (14.2%) cases of fetal complications were reported, among which three (60%) fetuses had respiratory distress and two (40%) had low birth weight. Most of the fetal complications occurred in Group B patients with TBA >40 μmol/l, among which ten (55.5%) fetuses had respiratory distress, five (27.7%) fetuses had low birth weight, and there was one (5.5%) stillbirth and two (11.1%) IUFDs. Conclusion: ICP is a relatively common condition that occurs in pregnancy as a consequence of the cholestatic effect of raised estrogen and progesterone in genetically susceptible women. Most of the fetal complications occur in those with higher bile acid pool. The agents that reduce maternal bile acids may reduce fetal complications, but if the mechanism of fetal death involves bile salt-induced fetal arrhythmias without any placental insufficiency, it may be that such monitoring will not be effective in preventing ICP-associated fetal loss.http://www.jscisociety.com/article.asp?issn=0974-5009;year=2020;volume=47;issue=1;spage=28;epage=32;aulast=Poshintrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancyintrauterine fetal demiseobstetric cholestasisrespiratory distresstotal bile acid level
spellingShingle Sheema Posh
Shaheera Ajaz
Beenish Jeelani
Rabia Khurshid
Impact of obstetric cholestasis on fetal outcome – An observational study
Journal of the Scientific Society
intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy
intrauterine fetal demise
obstetric cholestasis
respiratory distress
total bile acid level
title Impact of obstetric cholestasis on fetal outcome – An observational study
title_full Impact of obstetric cholestasis on fetal outcome – An observational study
title_fullStr Impact of obstetric cholestasis on fetal outcome – An observational study
title_full_unstemmed Impact of obstetric cholestasis on fetal outcome – An observational study
title_short Impact of obstetric cholestasis on fetal outcome – An observational study
title_sort impact of obstetric cholestasis on fetal outcome an observational study
topic intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy
intrauterine fetal demise
obstetric cholestasis
respiratory distress
total bile acid level
url http://www.jscisociety.com/article.asp?issn=0974-5009;year=2020;volume=47;issue=1;spage=28;epage=32;aulast=Posh
work_keys_str_mv AT sheemaposh impactofobstetriccholestasisonfetaloutcomeanobservationalstudy
AT shaheeraajaz impactofobstetriccholestasisonfetaloutcomeanobservationalstudy
AT beenishjeelani impactofobstetriccholestasisonfetaloutcomeanobservationalstudy
AT rabiakhurshid impactofobstetriccholestasisonfetaloutcomeanobservationalstudy