HBV seromarkers in pregnant women and their offsprings: transmission rate, epidemiological studies and pregnant outcome

ABSTRACT

This study is a serologic survey for HBV seromarkers among 102 pregnant women in their third trimester who attended the labour unit at Kasr El Aini Hospital. The infection rate for HBV was 38.2% with a carrier rate of 10.8% among these pregnant women. The transmission rate in the studied women [102] for HBV to their offsprings was 4.9%, while it was 45.5% among the carrier group [11]. In the carrier group of women [11 cases] the transmission rate of HBV was 100% in the presence of HBeAg in maternal sera, 25% in the presence of anti HBe in their sera, and 50% in the absence of either e. and anti e. The outcome of pregnancy in this group were not affected as regards fetal weight, prematurity, growth retardation and apgar score after delivery. Follow up of four infants who were positive for HBsAg six months after delivery revealed that two infants were still positive for HBsAg and the other two died in the neonatal period, one of them had jaundice. There was a positive relation between HBV infection rate, gravidity, history of jaundice and contact with jaundice patients. There was a positive relation between carrier rate and dental care, surgical operations. While there was no relation between the education levels, income and infection or carrier rates