Screening for Viral Hepatitis During Childbirth: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices at the Kalaban-Coro Reference Health Centre, Bamako, Mali

Abstract

The aim was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of women who have recently given birth in the face of positive HBsAg. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional and analytical study from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. Results: We collected 64 deliveries with a positive HBS-Ag out of 3935 deliveries, a prevalence of 1.6% (1/61). The median age was 27 ± 6 years. Multiparous were in the majority with 26.6%. Almost all pregnant women (96.9%) already knew their HBV HIV status. Sexual route was cited as the main mode of transmission (37.5%). The notion of previous HBV vaccination was reported in 65.6%, but none of the women had been vaccinated against HBV. HBeAg was present in 13.6% of parturients, A detectable viral load was found in 36.4%. In our series 60.9% were not taking any HBV treatment. Within the first 24 hours, 50% of newborns received seroprophylaxis. Conclusion: Screening for Hepatitis B during childbirth is useful because it reduces the so-called vertical transmission from mother to child during delivery through serovaccination of newborns.