This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages without signing in

Clinical features

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Clinical features

Pruritus in pregnancy is common, affecting 23% of pregnancies, of which a small proportion will have obstetric cholestasis (1)

  • pruritus of obstetric cholestasis is typically worse at night, is often widespread and may involve the palms of the hands and/or the soles of the feet
  • women present with pruritus without rash, characteristically after 30 weeks' gestation
  • pruritus often worsens as the pregnancy progresses

pruritus that involves the palms and soles of the feet is particularly suggestive

  • steatorrhoea and dark urine may occur
  • jaundice is a rare symptom (2)
  • increased rates of postpartum haemorrhage have been postulated to be due to vitamin K deficiency
  • gallstones may be present more often in affected women
  • women with hepatitis C infection have a higher incidence of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (2)
  • preeclampsia and gestational diabetes are seen more commonly in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (2)

Reference:

  1. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (April 2011). Guideline No. 43 - Obstetric cholestasis.
  2. Walker KF et al. Pharmacological interventions for treating intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD000493. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000493.pub3.
  3. BMJ 1994;309:1243-1244
  4. BMJ. 2002 Jan 19;324(7330):123-4

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.