Hepatitis B Virus among Pregnant Women: Prevalence and Risk Factors in Khartoum State 2005-2006.

Abstract

This is a cross-sectional, health facility based study. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of HBsAg, HBeAg among pregnant women, attending ANC unit in Khartoum state 2005 and the frequency of perinatal transmission of hepatitis HBV, and to relate the possible risk factors, in order to use this information to decide whether the first dose of HB vaccine to be administered at birth or with DPT-1. Three hundred and twenty pregnant women were selected in this study from 20 health facilities that provide ANC services in Khartoum state using two stage cluster sample technique. Women were screened using ELISA test, for hepatitis B surface and e antigen. Where (12/320) 3.75% (95% CI: 3.77-3.73) women tested positive for HBsAg and only one woman out of the12 rate {8.33 %( 95% CI: 8, 49-8.17)} was hepatitis B e antigen positive. Prevalence of HBsAg & HBeAg positive mothers is 0.31%, Frequency of HBV carriers in population due to perinatal infection is 0.25%. In relating the r risk factors for HBV to the prevalence of HBV, the relation was found to be statistically insignificant. It was concluded that there is moderate endemicity of HBV infection and low perinatal transmission of the disease In Khartoum state. It is thus recommended to continue giving the HBV vaccine with the DPT as scheduled, to conduct other studies for young children to define the relative importance of perinatal versus childhood transmission, to screen all pregnant women for HBV during antenatal care visits, and giving appropriate management for neonates of +ve mothers, and to study the prevalence in other states.