Frequency and risk factors for Hepatitis C among pregnant women

Background: hepatitis c virus is a major burden on public health worldwide. this study was conducted to evaluate the frequency and various risk factors for hepatitis c virus among pregnant women in our set-up.material & methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted on pregnant women in gynaecology & obstetrics department, kuwait teaching hospital, peshawar, from january 2007 to january 2009. after detailed history and examination, 5 ml blood was taken. rapid immuno-chromatographic technique for qualitative detection of antibodies for hepatitis c was the screening technique used. those found positive were confirmed by elisa. the women were also evaluated for the presence of risk factors for hepatitis c virus infection. pre-structured proforma was used to collect and record data. results were analyzed on spss version 16.results: during the study period 2050 pregnant women were tested for anti-hcv. out of these, 103(5%) were found positive for anti-hcv. regarding risk factors; history of previous delivery, abortions, injections, blood transfusion, surgery, dental extraction and tattooing were associated with hcv positive status. sixty four (62%) anti-hcv positive women did not have any identifiable risk factor.conclusion: hepatitis c is a common infection in pregnant women. risk factors include use of contaminated syringes, contaminated surgical instruments and blood products