title: [Hepatitis C virus among pregnant women in Norway--occurrence of antibodies and pregnancy outcome].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transmission of hepatitis C virus from mother to child is well documented. The prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis C virus among pregnant women in Norway is however, not known. The aim of this study was to estimate the maternal prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis C virus and to study the association between presence of antibodies and fetal death.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a study of 35,940 pregnant women, a random sample of 970 women and all women with fetal death after 16 weeks of gestation (n = 283), were tested for antibodies against hepatitis C virus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  7 out of 970 women in the random sample (0.7%; 0.2-1.3%, 95% confidence interval) had antibodies against hepatitis C virus. The same prevalence (0.7%, 2 out of 283) was found among women with fetal death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis C virus among Norwegian women was unexpectedly high. Further research is necessary to understand the causes and implications of this observation.
authors.affiliation: Kvinnesenteret Ullevål sykehus, Oslo.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eskild
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Samdal
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skaug
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeansson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stray-Pedersen
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jenum
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000821:virology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies