[Transmission of hepatitis C virus in pregnant women].
OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in pregnant women from Asturias as well as the vertical transmission rate.


METHODS
This was a prospective study of consecutive pregnant women from the 5th Health Area of Principado de Asturias (Northern Spain). We determined the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in the first trimester of pregnancy and the rate of mother-to-child transmission. Time period was August 1997-December 1998. Children were followed from birth to 18-24 months of age. Methods included anti-HVC, PCR-RNA-HVC, genotype and viral load at delivery of all positive women; and anti-HVC and PCR-RNA-HVC at birth, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months of age of their children.


RESULTS
Out of 2442 consecutive pregnant women, 30 were anti-HVC positive (prevalence: 1.23% of pregnancies and 1.20% of women); 24 of them were PCR-RNA-HVC positive. There were 30 anti-HVC positive children. All but one lost their antibodies (vertical transmission rate 3.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection was 1.20% of women from our Health Area. Vertical transmission rate was 3.3% among HVC infected, non-selected mothers.
Solís Sánchez
Gonzalo
G
Servicio de Pediatría. Hospital de Cabueñes. Gijón. Oviedo. Spain. gsolis@las.es
Suárez González
Adolfo
A
Otero Guerra
Luis
L
Viejo de la Guerra
Guillermo
G
de la Iglesia Martínez
Pedro
P
Menéndez García
María Teresa
MT
D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D019562:Viral Load
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral