Pruritus In Pregnancy and Its Relation to Development of Obstetrics Cholestasis with Co-Relation to Mode of Delivery: A Hospital Based Observational Study

Aim: The aim was to study different causes of pruritus in pregnancy and its relation to development of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (IHCP) with co-relation to mode of delivery in these patients. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary care hospital by analysing a prospectively maintained database over a period of 1.5 years. Data from 3523 pregnant females was analysed out of which 352 pregnant females were found to be suffering from pruritus and 42 were found to be having IHCP. Results: Prevalence of pruritus amongst pregnant women in our study was 9.99%. Serum bile acid levels were increased in all the patients of IHCP. Most of these patients underwent Caesarean section (p = 0.081). Conclusion: Pruritus in pregnancy is a relatively common symptom, affecting nearly 10% of pregnant women in our study. A significant subset of these patients was diagnosed with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (IHCP), which was consistently associated with elevated serum bile acid levels. Although not statistically significant, a higher rate of Caesarean section was observed among patients with IHCP. Early recognition and monitoring of pruritus in pregnancy are therefore crucial to ensure timely diagnosis of IHCP and to optimize maternal and fetal outcomes.