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Will I get ICP again?

Note: the information on this page has been updated following the publication of the third edition of the RCOG Green-Top Guideline on 9 August 2022.

Will I get ICP again?

  • Women who have ICP in one pregnancy have around an 80% chance of developing it in a future pregnancy. There are no current studies that can give a definitive recurrence rate.
  • The current RCOG Guideline recommends a baseline liver blood test and bile acid test at booking (typically around 12 weeks of pregnancy).
  • If you are expecting more than one baby this increases your risk of developing it.
  • If you have or have had IVF (fertility) treatment this also seems to be associated with an increased risk of developing ICP.
  • And although it’s not typical, ICP can present before 28 weeks of pregnancy (called the first and second trimesters) as opposed to the usual onset, which is in the third trimester (28 weeks onwards). The earliest reported diagnosis has been at 8 weeks of pregnancy. Your health professional may not know this can happen, so you may need to be prepared to be assertive about having the blood tests you require if this happens to you.

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References

Girling J, Knight CL, Chappell L; on behalf of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. BJOG 2022; 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17206.

Ovadia C, Williamson C. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: recent advances. Clin Dermatol 2016; 34: 327–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2016.02.004.