# Outcomes of liver diseases in pregnant females: A study from a tertiary care medical center in Pakistan

## TL;DR

This study examines liver diseases in pregnant women in Pakistan, finding that hepatitis E virus is most common and highlighting high maternal and fetal mortality rates.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into liver disease etiologies and outcomes in pregnant women in a developing country context.

## Key findings

- Acute hepatitis E virus infection was the most common liver disease in pregnant women.
- Maternal and neonatal mortality rates were 11.6% and 39.6%, respectively, with low maternal weight and hemoglobin as significant predictors of mortality.

## Abstract

To determine the etiologies and outcomes of liver disease in pregnancy in a developing country.

A total of 336 consecutive pregnant women with liver disease were included in this prospective cohort study conducted at the Department of Gastroenterology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi from August 2019 to August 2021. Patients’ baseline demographic, clinical, and laboratory data and outcomes were collected on a pre-designed questionnaire.

Among all the pregnant females, the most common liver disease was acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection (37.2%), followed by preeclampsia (PEC)/eclampsia (EC), hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes & low platelets (HELLP) syndrome, and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). The most common maternal complications were fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) in 14.9% and placental abruption in 11.0%. Fetal complications included intrauterine death (IUD) in 20.8% and preterm birth in 8.6%. The maternal and neonatal mortality rates were 11.6% and 39.6%, respectively. Among the predictors, low maternal weight, low body mass index (BMI), and low hemoglobin (Hb) were associated with increased maternal mortality. Low fetal weight, height, maternal systolic blood pressure (SBP), and low maternal Hb were independent predictors of fetal mortality.

In our cohort of pregnant females in a tertiary care medical center, acute HEV was the most common liver disease, followed by PEC/EC, HELLP, and HG. Maternal and fetal deaths were alarming in this group of patients and demanded careful management.