Chronic pancreatitis not linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes

No association exists between chronic pancreatitis (CP) and adverse pregnancy outcomes, reports a study, noting a trend toward improvement in the clinical symptoms because of CP during pregnancy.

A retrospective analysis of all female patients with CP of child-bearing age (>18 years) was conducted to assess the impact of CP on pregnancy-related outcomes and the effect of pregnancy on the clinical profile of CP.

The authors compared pregnancy-related outcomes of patients with CP with those of age-matched controls from the low-risk pregnancy group, identified using a simplified antepartum high-risk pregnancy scoring form. They also compared the clinical course of CP during pregnancy with the pre-pregnancy course.

A total of 338 patients were enrolled, of whom 46 met the inclusion criteria. One patient had at least one conception, while 41 had at least one completed pregnancy, with a total of 117 conceptions and 96 completed pregnancies.

In women with CP, no significant differences in pregnancy-related outcomes such as abortion (21.7 percent vs 11.3 percent; p=0.087), preterm deliveries (14.6 percent vs 10.4 percent; p=0.47), antepartum course (82.7 percent vs 82.6 percent; p=0.58), stillbirths (4.9 percent vs 4.3 percent; p=0.88), and caesarean section (36.6 percent vs 34 percent; p=0.849) were observed when compared with controls.

Notably, overall improvement was noted in the severity and frequency of pain during pregnancy as compared with the pre-pregnancy symptoms (p=0.001).