Background: The objectives of this study were to know the seroprevalence of HCV in pregnant women and to determine its vertical transmission rate as well as the viremia evolution in infected children.
Patients and method: Two different populations were studied: a) all pregnant women (n = 2,615) controlled in our hospital during 1999, and b) newborns (n = 228) to mothers with HCV antibodies (Ab) who were referred to our hospital from January 1995 to September 2000. Eighty of these infants were born to mothers coinfected with HIV-1. HCV Ab were determined by ELISA and RIBA techniques and viral ARN was studied by PCR. Risk factors in infected pregnant women were reviewed.
Results: HCV Ab were detected in 37 women using RIBA or PCR, hence meaning a seroprevalence rate of 1.4%. Usual risk factors were not identified in 35% of cases. Median viral load was 3.5 * 105 IU/ml. ARN HCV was detected in 15 infants, 9 out of them being born to mothers coinfected with HIV-1 (vertical transmission rate: 11.25%) and the remaining 6 being born to mothers without HIV-1 coinfection (vertical transmission rate: 4%). The difference in the transmission rate had statistical significance (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Seroprevalence of HCV infection in our population of pregnant women was relatively high. HCV screening in pregnant women is useful in order to identify this infection not only in this population but also in newborns and, consequently, to follow-up the vertical transmission cases.