JAUNDICE IN PREGNANCY: A 5 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE.

Objective: To study the incidence, maternal and perinatal outcome in women presenting with jaundice in pregnancy. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care centre, catering to all sections of society. Women who presented with Jaundice in pregnancy over the past 5 years (September 2011 to August 2016) were retrospectively analyzed. Details regarding the maternal, obstetric and perinatal outcome were collected from the data in the medical records section. Results: Out of 26,973 deliveries over the 5 year period, 123 cases of jaundice in pregnancy were reported. Incidence of jaundice in pregnancy in present study was found to be 0.45%. Out of 123 women, 77 (62.6%) had spontaneous onset of labour and 74 (60%) delivered vaginally. 69.1% of them recovered, however 14.6% (18) needed ventilator support. HELLP syndrome (39.84%) & Viral hepatitis (31.7%) were major causes of jaundice in present study. Maternal mortality rate was as high as 21%. DIC and sepsis were leading causes of maternal mortality. Neonatal complications were reported in 47.9%. Perinatal mortality was 30.8%. Conclusion: Jaundice in pregnancy results in high rates of maternal as well as fetal/neonatal morbidities and mortality. Early detection and timely initiation of proper management is essential to reduce the complications.