PATTERN OF LIVER DYSFUNCTION AMONG ANTENATAL WOMEN ATTENDING OPD OF A TERTIARY CARE CENTER

Background: Liver disorders in pregnancy encompass a spectrum of diseases encountered during antenatal and postnatal period resulting in abnormal liver function tests and hepatobiliary dysfunction or both. This study is aimed at determining the pattern of liver disorders during pregnancy.

Methods:One hundred patients with liver disorders during pregnancy during the period of one year were included. Data was recorded in Excel workbook and analyzed.

Results:91% of the women had liver disorders peculiar to pregnancy while 7% of the women had liver diseases which were coincidental to pregnancy while 2 women had preexisting liver disease. Our study observed that 2 women had chronic hepatitis. Five percent of the women had hepatitis B and 2% had chronic hepatitis C infection. Forty percent of the women had preeclampsia, 26% had cholestasis, and 2% had acute liver failure. The most common antepartum complication was gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia (34% followed by IUGR (17%).

Conclusions:Liver disease has deleterious effect on pregnancy outcome with increased maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality. Timely diagnosis by proper antenatal check-up, early interventions and intensive monitoring of both mother and fetus with the teamwork of obstetrician, physician, gastroenterologist, and anaesthetist can prevent and reduce feto-maternal morbidity and mortality.