Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Among Pregnant Women at Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Backgrounds: The prevalence study of HCV infection among pregnant women is limited in central India. Vertical transmission (Mother-to-child) has become the major cause of pediatric hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C among pregnant females attending antenatal clinics. Material and Methods: The cross-sectional study done at Malwanchal University, Indore Madhya Pradesh, from March 2019 to September 2022. The confirm diagnosis of HCV infection made by anti-HCV Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) among enrolled pregnant women. Results: Out of 3254 pregnant women tested, 26 were found positive for HCV infection. The prevalence of 0.79% was observed. The majority of infection were found in age groups 21-25 years 11/26 (42.3%) and in 26-30 years 09/26 (34.6%). The study also concluded to the most positive pregnant women belonged to low-income groups and rural areas. Conclusion: Screening of pregnant women during each pregnancy, and testing infants born to mothers with HCV infection highly recommend to for the timely prevention of its transmission to infants. Keywords: Vertical transmission, pregnant women, HCV infection