title: Seroprevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in pregnant women attending public sector tertiary care hospital in Hyderabad Sindh.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pakistan is among the countries having high prevalence of HCV infection in the population but there is dearth of proper epidemiological data regarding acquisition of HCV infection in the pregnant population. Our objective was to determine the seroprevalence of HCV antibodies in healthy pregnant women and to assess the potential risk factors for HCV infection in HCV positive subjects and in the control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross sectional and comparative study was conducted from 1(st) January to 31(st) December 2010 in the Department of Obstetrics/Gynaecology Unit-I, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad. Sera were collected from all admitted pregnant women and tested for HCV anti bodies using Elisa kits (Abbott, USA). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 statistical package.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The seroprevalence of HCV among pregnant population was found to be 4.7%. HCV positive women were more likely to have a history of blood transfusion (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.26- 3.12), History of therapeutic injection use (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.43-4.26), history of surgery (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.12-2.66) and history of sharing household products (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.14-2.87).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCV seropositive pregnant women were more likely to have a history of blood transfusion, therapeutic injection use, surgery and sharing household items.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Seema Bibi, FCPS(Obs/Gyn), Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bibi
authors.affiliation: Dr. Saira Dars, MS(Obs/Gyn), Consultant Gynaecologist, Department of Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad/Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Saira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dars
authors.affiliation: Dr. Sanober Ashfaq, MS(Obs/Gyn), Registrar, Department of Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad/Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sanober
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashfaq
authors.affiliation: Roshan Ara Qazi, FCPS(Obs/Gyn), Chairperson/Professor, Department of Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Roshan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ara Qazi
authors.affiliation: Dr. Sadaf Akhund, DGO, Trainee Registrar, Department of Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sadaf
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akhund
keywords: Hepatitis C infection; Pregnancy; Risk factors; Seroprevalence