The Effects of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on Pregnancy Outcomes
The Effects of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on Pregnancy Outcomes
bahar ghorbani kolahi,1,*
1. Department of Midwifery, Azad University of Tehran, Iran
Introduction: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Obesity, overweight, diabetes, smoking, hormones, and genetic were identified as risk factors for NAFLD. Pregnancy itself has a higher risk for NAFLD as well as developing insulin-resistance and hyperglycemia. The presence of NAFLD in pregnancy increases some maternal and fetal morbidities including gestational diabetes (GDM), Cesarean section, preterm labor (PTL), miscarriage, low birth weight (LBW), and Preeclampsia. This study aimed to review the association between the NAFLD and pregnancy outcomes.
Methods: This review has been conducted based on analysis of available literature indexed in PubMed database between2018 and 2022. Specific keywords including “NAFLD”, “Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease”, “pregnancy outcomes” and “gestational diabetes” have been used. Experimental and review articles on the mentioned theme were included.
Results: Accumulating evidence from studies suggests that NAFLD is a risk factor for early miscarriage, hypertension and preeclampsia. NAFLD also increases some maternal and fetal morbidities including GDM, LBW, PTL. However, a review article showed that there is not any significant association between NAFLD and C/S, LBW, and PTL. Previous studies have shown that NAFLD is also a risk factor for dysglycemia. The pathophysiology of increasing the risk of these pregnancy complications due to NAFLD is still unclear but elevating of inflammation factors because of insulin resistance can be probably one of the reasons.
Conclusion: In summary, NAFLD is associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Therefore, NAFLD should be considered a high-risk obstetric condition. Early identification of fatty liver disease is needed to minimize the implications for mother and child. It is also necessary to mention that we still need more data and studies to consider the effects of NAFLD on pregnancy outcomes.