Fatty Liver & Pregnancy: Understanding the Risks

Question
hi,
not sure if you would know but my husband and i wanted one more baby, we have 2kids. i am a 26yr female and just found  out i have fatty liver disease, was told to loose weight..(30lb overweight)..i was wondering does having fatty liver raise the risk of akute fatty liver of pregnany? i read that its fatal most the time and was wondering if the 2 were the same and if  i would have a raised risk of getting it...thanks

Answer
Dear Tiffany,

Although I'm not SUPER familiar with this condition, I can pass along some basic information. Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy is considered a cause of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). In other words, it would fall under the larger umbrella of all NAFLDs.

It's unclear exactly what causes NAFLD. It's also unclear exactly how a liver becomes fatty. The fat may come from other parts of your body or your liver may absorb an increased amount of fat from your intestine. Another possible explanation is that your liver loses its ability to change fat into a form that can be eliminated readily. But one thing is certain: The eating of fatty foods, by itself, doesn't produce a fatty liver.

Now, aside from all the technical (and really, really complicated) stuff, they think that this condition has alot to do with insulin-resistance and that typically there is a trigger at some point that will cause it to fire up. (For pregnancy related cases, this is probably hormone surges.) Other possible triggers include bacterial infections, hormonal abnormalities, or an accumulation of excess iron in the liver caused by hemochromatosis.

Your doctor's recommendation is exactly what you need to do to reverse this condition. Your risk increases with literally every pound of excess weight. As to whether a pregnancy further compounds or worsens this disease - I can only speculate. I would guess that if your liver is already compromised, a pregnancy would create additional demand that would require close monitoring. However, I would not say that it would necessarily be the SAME (on a complicated cellular level) as Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy. For a more specific and assured answer  :-), I would recommend that you ask this of your OB/GYN before conceiving a pregnancy.

Also please note that you should  try to lose the weight in a gradual way - approximately 10% of your body weight in a six month time period. Excess/rapid weight loss can sometimes worsen the fatty liver.

I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda