Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Prevalence in Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Iran

Background:

Vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from infected mothers to their neonates is one of the most important routes of infection. The exact prevalence rate of HBV in Iranian pregnant mothers is not well known but based on different studies it is estimated between 0.35% and 6.5%. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in pregnant women of selected provinces in Iran.

Methods:

At this cross-sectional study, seven provinces supposed to be of high and low prevalence of hepatitis B in the general population selected. Multistage sampling was used to enroll 5261 parturient women who attended the target provinces birth facilities, during January to March of 2011, were recruited to study. To determine the statistically significant mean and proportion differences, t-test and χ² test were used, respectively.

Results:

Overall 1.2% was positive HBsAg of which 11% of them were hepatitis B e-antigen positive as well. The eastern and north eastern provinces were considerably higher in HBsAg seropositivity than the west and northwest of the country.

Conclusions:

In view of the considerable prevalence of hepatitis B in pregnant women, screening all pregnant women prioritizing the eastern and north-eastern provinces is strongly recommended.

Full article at:  http://goo.gl/ay3wQu

By:  Alireza Shoghli, Seyed Mahmood Nabavi,1 Seyed Moayed Alavian,2 Goodarz Kolifarhood, Mohammad Mehdi Goya,3Roshanak Namazi,4 Mojtaba Fallahnezhad,5 Mansor Mohajeri,6 Nouraldin Mousavinasab, Rahim Sorouri Zanjani,7Mohammad Reza Saeini,8 and Ahmad Jalilvand9

Department of Social Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Zanjan, Iran

¹Department of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Tehran, Iran

²Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Tehran, Iran

³Director in General, Center for Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Iran

⁴Department of Hepatitis, Center for Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Iran

⁵Researcher, Razi Science Researchers Institute, Iran

⁶Research Expert, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health services, Zanjan, Iran

⁷Department of Microbiology, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health services, Zanjan, Iran

⁸Center for Diseases Control, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health services, Zanjan, Iran

⁹Department of Pathology, Mousavi Teaching Hospital, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health services, Zanjan, Iran

Correspondence to: Dr. Seyed Mahmood Nabavi, Department of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Tehran, Iran. E-mail: moc.oohay@35ivabandoomham

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