TikTok Comments Help Pregnant Creator Detect Serious Liver Condition

Content creator Abbie Herbert experienced an unexpected turn of events during her third pregnancy in December 2025 when a casual gesture captured on camera prompted alert viewers to warn her of a potentially dangerous medical condition. While filming a daily video blog for her TikTok account at 37 weeks pregnant, Herbert absently scratched the palms of her hands. Several followers quickly took to the comments section to suggest she request a bile acid blood test from her doctor to screen for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

Herbert, a 29-year-old Pittsburgh-based creator with over 15 million followers, initially dismissed the suggestion. Having already navigated two previous pregnancies, she assumed the sensation was simply a minor flare-up of her eczema rather than anything serious. Medical descriptions of cholestasis typically highlight relentless and severe itching on the palms and soles, particularly at night, without any visible rash. Because her symptoms felt mild and she noticed a rash resembling tiny broken blood vessels rather than intense itching, she felt her situation did not match the textbook definitions.

Despite her initial hesitation, advice from both her mother and ChatGPT encouraged her to seek medical input just in case. After noticing the rash across her palms following a home photo shoot, Herbert decided to send a photograph to her healthcare provider. Although she worried about bothering the office over a few minor dots on her skin, her doctor responded immediately and instructed her to come in for immediate blood work.

Laboratory results revealed that her bile acid levels were roughly double the normal threshold. The following morning at 6 a.m., her doctor called with urgent instructions to report straight to the hospital. Instead of spending the day shopping for baby supplies as planned, Herbert underwent an urgent C-section, resulting in the safe delivery of her son, Rocky Blue, approximately two days after the initial warning comments appeared on her video.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is a liver condition that commonly develops during the third trimester, occurring when normal bile flow slows down and bile acids accumulate in the bloodstream. If left untreated, elevated bile acid levels significantly increase the risk of preterm birth, infant breathing difficulties, and stillbirth. Because these levels can shift rapidly within a single day, medical professionals act quickly once high numbers are confirmed.

Reflecting on the experience months later, Herbert shared her story online to raise awareness, emphasizing the critical advice that caught her condition: if hands or feet experience itching late in pregnancy, patients should ask their doctor for a bile acid blood draw. Her comment section has since filled up with messages from other mothers who recognized similar symptoms and caught the condition early through the advice of online strangers.