Acute pancreatitis in pregnancy: meta-analysis of maternal and fetal outcomes

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis in pregnancy is uncommon, with an estimated incidence rate of between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 10 000 pregnancies ^{1, 2}. One aspect that remains unclear is the impact of acute pancreatitis in pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes. Historical case series reported very poor outcomes, with maternal mortality rates of 20 per cent and fetal loss of 50 per cent ^{3, 4}. However, these studies are of an era that is not representative of current clinical practice. There is a clear need to define recent outcomes of acute pancreatitis in pregnancy to create risk stratification criteria with which to identify patients most at risk of adverse outcomes. This meta-analysis aimed to quantify maternal and fetal outcomes in acute pancreatitis in pregnancy.