Hepatitis-associated antigen: A possible relationship with premature delivery

Abstract

Preliminary observations in 271 pregnancies indicated a high incidence of hepatitis-associated antigen (HAA) in mothers delivered at a large metropolitan hospital. On analysis, the frequency of HAA appeared to be higher in mothers of premature infants and these infants had a poor survival rate. The present study was designed to check these findings and to determine the incidence of HAA and the outcome of pregnancy in mothers with viral hepatitis. The outcome of pregnancy in apparently healthy HAA+ women was also analyzed. Mothers of premature and fullterm infants. Ninety mothers of infants weighing 2000 gms or less were studied. The controls were 90 mothers of the nextborn fullterm infants. Three of the 90 mothers of prematures were HAA+; 3 of their 4 infants (1 set of twins) died. On the other hand, only 1 of 90 mothers of infants >2000 gms was HAA+; her infant survived. The overall 2.2% incidence is identical to that of the preliminary observation. Mothers with clinical hepatitis. Eight pregnant women with hepatitis were studied. Five of them were HAA+. Four of their 5 infants were premature; 3 of the prematures died. The infants (2 fullterm, 1 premature) of the negative mothers survived. HAA+ mothers, apparently healthy. A total of 7 mothers, HAA+ at delivery and with no history of hepatitis, were studied. Five of their infants (1 set of twins) were premature; 4 died. The 3 fullterm infants survived.The data suggest that pregnant women who are HAA+, with or without hepatitis, tend to deliver prematurely and that their infants, if premature, have a hight mortality rate.