Abstract
The prevalence of elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and antibodies against hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) among 755 pregnant women attending a prenatal clinic was studied. Consecutive female presumptive blood donors ( n = 649) served as serological controls. Among the pregnant women 85 (11%) had elevated serum ALT levels. Antibodies against HCV (anti-HCV) were detected in six (0.8%) pregnant women in a screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and with consecutive confirmatory test (RIBA-2). Antibodies against HBV (anti-HBc and/or anti HBs) was found in 63 (8.3%) pregnant women, of whom three (0.4%) were HBsAg positive. Among the blood donors anti-HCV was detected in seven (1%) of whom one (0.15%) was positive in the confirmatory test (RIBA-2). None of the blood donors had any serological marker of HBV exposure as measured by HBsAg and anti-HBc. The anti-HCV prevalence among pregnant women was low and did not differ significantly from that of healthy blood donors. Prenatal screening for hepatitis is concluded not to be justified without having a history of risk exposure or risk behaviour.
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