Papers of the Week

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a pregnancy specific liver disorder known to be associated with fetal adverse events, in particular stillbirth. At present, an effective treatment to reduce the risk of stillbirth, does not exist. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is often given in clinical practice to reduce maternal symptom of pruritus but without strong evidence (Walker KF et al. Pharmacological interventions for treating intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Jul 27;7(7):CD000493), and iatrogenic preterm birth is induced when the risk of stillbirth is thought to be higher (Ovadia C et al. Association of adverse perinatal outcomes of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy with biochemical markers: results of aggregate and individual patient data meta-analyses. Lancet. 2019 Mar 2;393(10174):899-909).