Pregnancy-specific liver diseases

Liver disease presenting in pregnancy may be due to a pregnancy-specific liver disorder, due to previously unrecognised pre-existing liver disease, or de novo liver disorders coincidentally presenting in a pregnant woman. The pregnancy-specific liver diseases can span from mild disease with limited impact on maternal and foetal health to severe disorders that can result in significant morbidity and mortality for mother and foetus. Swift identification of these disorders is essential to allow timely and appropriate management via a multi-disciplinary approach. The pregnancy-specific conditions, including their presentation, investigations, and management are reviewed in this chapter in detail.