The goal of a study was to investigate whether non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) during pregnancy confers more serious risks for maternal or perinatal health.

The present study utilized weighted discharge data from the US national inpatient sample to evaluate temporal trends of NAFLD in pregnancies after 20 weeks gestation. The outcomes were compared to pregnancies with other chronic liver diseases (CLDs) or no CLD.

The results showed that out of the 18,574,225 pregnancies, 5,640 had NAFLD and 115,210 had other, non-NAFLD CLD. Pregnancies with NAFLD increased up to three times from 2007 to 2015. The frequencies of gestational diabetes; hypertensive complications; postpartum hemorrhage; and preterm birth were found to be higher in patients with NAFLD, during pregnancy. When compared to no CLD, NAFLD was associated with hypertensive complications, preterm birth, postpartum hemorrhage and even maternal (but not fetal) death.

It was inferred that the prevalence of NAFLD in pregnancy has risen three-folds over the last decade and is independently associated with pregnancy-related complications. Therefore, such patients must be deemed high-risk obstetric cases, and these patients should be offered pre-conception counseling and appropriate pregnancy care.

Source: Journal of Hepatology. 2020 Sep;73(3):516-522. Doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.03.049.