An Observational Study on Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis B and C in Pregnant Women at Bakhtawar Amin Trust Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and associated risk factors of Hepatitis B and C in pregnant women.
Study Design: An observational study.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics,
Bakhtawar Amin Trust Hospital, Multan, Pakistan from September 2022 to September 2023.
Methods: A total of 500 pregnant women who were in their 1st trimester and tested positive for chorionic
gonadotropin hormone were selected for the study by consecutive sampling. A 5ml blood sample was drawn
from all women, and serum samples were separated, stored, and then processed by enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hepatitis B antigen was identified in each serum sample using ELISA. ELISA kits
were used to test the anti-HCV antibodies. Patients were also tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
by HIV1/2 STAT PACK and ARBON.
Results: The prevalence of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C was 25 (5%) and 10 (2%), respectively. Only one subject
was infected with both viruses (2.8%). Eight of the women infected with the Hepatitis B virus were also positive
for HIV. HBV showed high prevalence in rural residents (5%), patients who had undergone blood transfusion
(20%), and those with sexually transmitted diseases (20%). Women with HIV were twice the risk of infection
(OR: 2.1 (2-6.3)). Women with sexually transmitted diseases were eightfold more at risk (OR: 8.5), and women
who had undergone blood transfusion were seven times more susceptible to infection (OR: 7.3 (3.2-17.1)).
Women aged between 17 and 25 were at threefold more risk of Hepatitis C infection than older women (OR: 3.5
(1.5-9.2)). A high prevalence was noted in women with sexually transmitted diseases (13.3%)
Conclusion: The prevalence of Hepatitis B and C infection in first-trimester pregnant women was 5% and 2%.
The prevalence of viral hepatitis was associated with young age (25 years or younger), which suggested the
importance of early antenatal screening and hepatitis vaccine to reduce the risk of mother-to-child
transmission.

How to cite this: Qureshi HZ, Khan B, Iftikhar A, Imran H Iqbal MA. An Observational Study on Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis B and C in Pregnant Women at Bakhtawar Amin Trust Hospital. Life and Science. 2025; 6(3): 387-393. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.569