Fatty liver disease in pregnancy triples the risk of premature birth

A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that pregnant women with fatty liver disease (MASLD) have a three-fold increased risk of giving birth prematurely. The disease, although linked to obesity and metabolic disorders, has its own negative health effects. The researchers are calling for more careful monitoring of such patients to reduce the risk of complications.

The study, conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, included 240 births to women with MASLD and 1,140 comparisons with the general population. The results showed that women with MASLD were more than three times more likely to give birth prematurely than women in the general population. The increased risk was not related to the severity of the disease or BMI, suggesting that fatty liver itself may be an additional risk factor.

Carole A. Marxer, the study’s lead author, emphasizes that pregnant women with MASLD should be closely monitored throughout pregnancy to minimize the risk of complications. She also recommends that specific guidelines for MASLD be included in general recommendations for pregnant women.

The study also found that women with MASLD had a 63% higher risk of cesarean delivery compared to the control group. This increase, according to the study authors, can be explained primarily by higher BMI, as overweight or obese women without MASLD did not show a higher risk of cesarean delivery.

However, the study did not find an increased risk of having babies with congenital malformations or higher perinatal mortality in women with MASLD. This gives some hope that fatty liver disease mainly affects earlier delivery, but not other aspects of the child's health.