Acute viral hepatitis in Egyptian pregnant women; natural history

Seventy-three pregnant women with acute hepatitis were selected for this study. All cases were subjected to history taking, obstetric status, clinical and abdominal ultrasonography examinations. Out of these cases, 61 patients agreed to participate in this study. The commonest symptoms and signs were jaundice, urine darkness, anorexia, abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. Fulminant hepatitis was found in seven cases. Serum bilirubin and transaminases were about 3-5 fold above the normal level. Two deaths, three were still birth and five premature labor were the mean complications and the normal labor was 82.2%. A benign clinical course was given in 88.7% and the mortality rate was 3.2%. There was no specific clinical course indicated to a specific virus infection. Pregnancy did not aggravate the course of acute viral hepatitis, but the viral hepatitis could complicate the pregnancy course

Outcome of the pregnant women suffering from acute viral hepatitis in Egypt

Seventy-three pregnant women with symptoms and signs of acute viral hepatitis were included in this study. Out of these patients, 36 pregnant women and their newborns could be followed up to two months after labor. All pregnant women were subjected to clinical history and examinations, obstetric status and abdominal ultrasound. The mothers and their babies were clinically followed and HAV IgM, HBsAg, HBcAb, HBcIgM, HBeAg and Ab, delta IgM, HCV Ab, HEV IgG, CMV IgM and EBV IgM were done. The symptoms and signs in pregnant women were similar as in the nonpregnant ones. Pregnancy is not a risk factor for acute viral hepatitis, but the latter may complicate the clinical course of pregnancy. The clinical course of pregnant women was benign in 97.2% and acute fulminant hepatitis was in one case with a morbidity rate of 2.8%. These pregnant women delivered 39 newborns [with three twins]; out of them, five newborns had positive seromarkers as HAV IgM, HBsAg, IE3cIgM, HCV Ab and CMV IgM. Only two newborns were positive HBsAg due to vertical transmission. The vaccination of newborn to positive HBV mother is essential. PCR was recommended for the diagnosis of acute cases with negative seromarkers