[Selective screening for hepatitis B in pregnant women in Denmark].
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of the present Danish selective screening strategy for possible hepatitis B infection in pregnant women who themselves or whose partners originate from medium- or high-endemic hepatitis B areas of the world. We also investigated whether children of hepatitis B carriers were treated with immunoglobulin and vaccination.


METHODS
We did a retrospective study of 1,924 birth notification forms of women who had delivered between 1 January and 30 June 2000 in Frederiksborg County, Denmark. Women were selected who had foreign-sounding names. The hospital case notes were examined to determine the women's countries of origin and their hepatitis B screening status. We then contacted the Department of Clinical Immunology of each hospital and the Danish State Serum Institute to double-check the women's screening status.


RESULTS
The study included 210 women, who made up nearly 11% of this cohort. Sixty-eight (32%) of the women had been tested according to the guidelines. One woman was a hepatitis B carrier. Her child had received immunoglobulin and vaccination within 24 hours of birth.


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that a selective antenatal screening program for hepatitis B is difficult to implement in daily clinical practice. The fact that only one third of this well-defined risk group had been tested for hepatitis B emphasizes the need for a universal antenatal screening program.
Myrup
Charlotte
C
Hillerød Sygehus, Paediatrisk Afdeling. cmy@ssi.dk
Hansen
Charlotte C Thim
CC
Andersen
Else
E
Hellmuth
Ellinor A
EA
D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008403:Mass Screening; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines