Acute viral hepatitis in pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical outcome of pregnancy and vertical transmission of acute viral hepatitis in pregnancy.


METHODS
Forty-eight pregnant patients with acute viral hepatitis were evaluated clinically and by abdominal ultrasonography. Serological studies for hepatitis markers were performed using radioimmunoassay. The results were evaluated using Student's t-test and tests of proportion.


RESULTS
Thirty-five (72.9%) delivered live birth babies at term, while 13 (27.1%) had fetal complications and/or losses. The percentage of fetal complications and/or losses was higher in patients who had non-A, non-B hepatitis (30.8%) than those who had type B hepatitis (25%). The most common fetal complication was premature delivery (14.9%) followed by stillbirth and abortion (8.3%) for each. The overall percentage of vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus was 2 out of 27 (7.4%).


CONCLUSIONS
Acute viral hepatitis carries a high risk for both mother and fetus. Routine vaccination of all susceptible women and babies against hepatitis B is recommended in endemic areas.
Medhat
A
A
Department of Tropical Medicine, Assiut University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt.
el-Sharkawy
M M
MM
Shaaban
M M
MM
Makhlouf
M M
MM
Ghaneima
S E
SE
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens