Seroprevalence of hepatitis B in pregnant women in Mexico.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B in pregnant women from several regions of Mexico, as well as the risk factors associated with its occurrence.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and August 2000. It included 9,992 pregnant women attending the health services of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social-IMSS) in five cities: Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Acapulco, Cancun, and Mexico City (northeast and southeast regions).


RESULTS
The overall prevalence for confirmed cases was 1.65% (165/9,992). The prevalences for individual cities were as follows: Tijuana, 1.27%; Ciudad Juarez, 1.46%; Acapulco, 2.47%; Cancun, 0.93%; northeastern Mexico City, 1.20%, and southeastern Mexico City, 2.52%. The risk factors found to be associated with HBsAg were: age, age at first sexual intercourse, city (Acapulco and southeastern Mexico City), and marital status (single or divorced).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of HBsAg in pregnant women (1.65%) was greater than that reported in previous studies and showed geographical differences. This high prevalence suggests that a considerable amount of cases of hepatitis B occurs perinatally and through contact with carriers in the general population. Vaccination of newborns of high-risk pregnant women should be considered.
Vázquez-Martínez
José Luis
JL
División Técnica de Información y Estadísticas en Salud, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), México, DF, México. cinth@prodigy.net.mx
Coreño-Juárez
María Ofelia
MO
Montaño-Estrada
Luis Felipe
LF
Attlan
Michaël
M
Gómez-Dantés
Héctor
H
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D017584:Reproductive History; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014505:Urban Population
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens