Can ICP Harm Baby?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Can ICP harm baby? ICP can have serious consequences for the baby, with

increased chances of premature birth, neonatal unit admission and stillbirth

. Research shows that about 1 in 10 women diagnosed with ICP will have their baby early.

Can you have a healthy baby with ICP?

The positive news is that recent research suggests that 90% of women who have ICP can be reassured that their babies are free from the risk of stillbirth due to the condition.

With careful management the 10% of babies who are at risk because of ICP can be born safely

.

How serious is ICP in pregnancy?

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a

potentially serious liver disorder that can develop in pregnancy

. Normally, bile acids flow from your liver to your gut to help you digest food. In ICP, the bile acids do not flow properly and build up in your body instead.

What does ICP do to the baby?

If you have ICP, you and your baby are at increased risk of having of complications, including:

Premature birth

. This is birth that happens too soon, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Babies born this early may have more health problems or need to stay in the hospital longer than babies born later.

Can cholestasis affect your baby?

Cholestasis

may increase the risks for fetal distress, preterm birth, or stillbirth

. A developing baby relies on the mother’s liver to remove bile acids from the blood; therefore, the elevated levels of maternal bile cause stress on the baby’s liver.

Is ICP considered high risk?


ICP poses several risks that are of great concern

. It is associated with an increased risk of stillbirth (intrauterine fetal demise), premature labor, respiratory distress in the neonate, meconium staining, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

Is delivery by 37 weeks necessary for cholestasis of pregnancy?


Doctors usually induce labor around weeks 37 or 38 of the pregnancy to reduce the risk of complications of cholestasis of pregnancy

.

Can cholestasis cause stillbirth?


Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is associated with an increased risk of stillbirth

, and the only known way to reduce this risk is early delivery.

Can cholestasis cause big babies?

Although there were no differences in the birth weights of these babies and infants born during the same period from non-cholestatic pregnancies, the team found that

by age 16, boys born from cholestatic pregnancies had a much higher body mass index, by up to four points.

Can ICP go away on its own?


ICP usually goes away after you have your baby

. You should have a bile acid test and liver function test around 6-12 weeks after you give birth to confirm this.

Why does cholestasis cause fetal death?

The exact cause of the stillbirths is unknown but it is thought to be due to either an irregular fetal heart rhythm or a constriction of blood flow in the placenta that is caused by the elevated bile acid levels. Stillbirth is usually a sudden event that cannot always be predicted by fetal monitoring.

What are the early signs of ICP?

  • Headache.
  • Blurred vision.
  • Feeling less alert than usual.
  • Vomiting.
  • Changes in your behavior.
  • Weakness or problems with moving or talking.
  • Lack of energy or sleepiness.

How do you treat cholestasis naturally during pregnancy?

  1. Cool baths, which may make the itching feel less intense for some women.
  2. Oatmeal baths, creams or lotions, which may soothe the skin.
  3. Icing a particularly itchy patch of skin, which may temporarily reduce the itch.

Does bile acid affect baby?

Bile acid levels increases the risk of poor outcomes of pregnancies with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) Our researchers have looked at information from over 5,500 women with ICP and have found that

the babies of women with extremely high bile acid levels are most at risk of stillbirth

.

When should I be worried about itching during pregnancy?

Mild itching is usually nothing to worry about, but

if the itching becomes severe it can be a sign of a serious liver condition called obstetric cholestasis

. This affects fewer than 1 in 100 pregnant women, but needs medical attention.

How early do you deliver with cholestasis?

Babies of women with cholestasis are often delivered early (

usually around 37 weeks

) because of the risks.

Can you go full term with cholestasis?

Since most stillbirths occur after 37 weeks of pregnancy,

most research recommends delivery by this time for people with cholestasis of pregnancy

. This is also the point at which doctors would consider the baby full-term if born.

Can cholestasis cause miscarriage?

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is an incompletely understood liver disease which results in systemic accumulation of bile acids, associated with maternal pruritus and

increased risk of intrauterine fetal death

.

Do you have to have ac section if you have cholestasis?

Complications may include preterm birth, respiratory distress syndrome, meconium aspiration, and stillbirth, which is why doctors will carefully monitor the pregnancy and

usually recommend labor induction or c-section before a baby’s due date

.

Is cholestasis worse at night?

Intense itching is the main symptom of cholestasis of pregnancy. There is no rash. Most women feel itchy on the palms of their hands or the soles of their feet, but some women feel itchy everywhere.

The itching is often worse at night

and may be so bothersome that you can’t sleep.

Can you deliver at 40 weeks with cholestasis?


Until a recent change in January 2021, ACOG had previously recommended delivery between 36-37 weeks

. The recommendation for delivery in this timeframe was based mostly upon two articles published in 2015. The first was a retrospective cohort study by Puljic et al.

What week is most common for stillbirth?

The highest risk of stillbirth was seen at

42 weeks

with 10.8 per 10,000 ongoing pregnancies (95% CI 9.2–12.4 per 10,000) (Table 2). The risk of stillbirth increased in an exponential fashion with increasing gestational age (R

2

=0.956) (Fig. 1).

What are the signs of a stillborn baby?

The most common symptom of stillbirth is when you

stop feeling your baby moving and kicking

. Others include cramps, pain or bleeding from the vagina. Call your health care provider right away or go to the emergency room if you have any of these conditions.

Does cholestasis affect the placenta?

Overall findings suggest that

maternal cholestasis mainly increases maternal, placental and fetal cholesterol levels

, and that female offspring exposed to maternal cholestasis have greater susceptibility to metabolic abnormalities on a high-calorie and high-fat diet.

Does stress increase ICP?

Moreover,

the incidence of increased intracranial pressure and stress in the pathophysiological process surpasses the incidence of hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction

. Therefore, we suspected that intracranial hypertension and stress are the major causes of hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction.

What does ICP feel like?

Elevated ICP Symptoms

Classic signs of intracranial pressure include

a headache and/or the feeling of increased pressure when lying down and relieved pressure when standing

. 3 Nausea, vomiting, vision changes, changes in behavior, and seizures can also occur.

What is considered high bile acid level in pregnancy?

Total serum bile acid levels are slightly higher in pregnant than in nonpregnant women (mean ± SD, 6.6 ± 0.3 μmol/L vs

5.7 ± 0.4 μmol/L

),

16

and levels up to 11.0 μmol/L are accepted as normal in late gestation.

Does crying increase ICP?

The intracranial hypotension induced detachment of the dura from the skull and spontaneous EDH occurred. Conclusions:

Crying or hyperventilation may trigger spontaneous EDH

and should be suspected when there are signs of persisting headache and increased intracranial pressure.

How can I relieve my cranial pressure?

How do I lower my ICP?

  1. draining the excess cerebrospinal fluid with a shunt, to reduce pressure on the brain that hydrocephalus has caused.
  2. medication that reduces brain swelling, such as mannitol and hypertonic saline.

Can drinking water help cholestasis?

Drink Plenty of Water


It’s recommended that you drink 8-12 glasses of water a day

. You need more water than the average person in order to form amniotic fluid, carry nutrients, enhance digestion and flush out wastes and toxins.

Can exercise help cholestasis?

What triggers cholestasis?

Extrahepatic cholestasis occurs outside the liver. It can be caused by:

Bile duct tumors

. Cysts. Narrowing of the bile duct (strictures)

Is normal delivery possible in cholestasis of pregnancy?

Should women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy be delivered early?

Yes. The only known way to reduce risk of stillbirth is with early delivery

. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is associated with an increased risk of stillbirth, and the only known way to reduce this risk is early delivery.

How common is stillbirth with cholestasis?

The risk of stillbirth was noted to be:

0.13% if bile acids are below 40; 0.28% for bile acids 40-99; and 3.44% for bile acids above 100

.

Will I be induced if I have cholestasis?

Depending on your bile acids levels, if you are diagnosed with ICP you may need to have your baby in hospital under a doctor-led maternity team. This may mean changing your birth plan.

You may be advised to have your labour induced from around 35-36 weeks of pregnancy if your bile acid levels are over 100

.

Ahmed Ali
Author
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali is a financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked for major banks and investment firms, and has a wealth of knowledge on investing, real estate, and tax planning. Ahmed is also an advocate for financial literacy and education.