Vertical transmission of HBsAg in Alexandria

ABSTRACT

A total of 735 pregnant women at delivery and their babies were screened for HBsAg to assess the vertical transmission of HB virus infection. The carrier rate among pregnant women was 5%, evidence of intrauterine transmission reached 8.1% and that of perinatal transmission was 33.3%. The most important factors affecting the carrier rate in mothers were the social class, parity injections, dental manipulation and hospitalization. Nevertheless among the factors increasing the rate of materno-fetal transmission were the presence of [e] Ag, high titer of HBsAg in mothers serum, cord blood antigenaemia, age of the mother, prolonged duration of labour and breast-feeding