Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women at the antenatal booking clinic of a Tertiary Hospital in Lagos Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES The objectives were to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and assess the major risk factors among Nigerian pregnant women. SUBJECTS AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out among pregnant women at the antenatal clinic of a Tertiary Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. A total number of 150 consenting pregnant women were selected for the study. A structured pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for the data collection. Sera were collected and tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). RESULTS Of the 150 women screened during the study, 11 (7.3%) were seropositive for HBsAg. Of these 11 women, 4 (36.4%) were also positive for HBeAg. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean ages of participants who were seropositive for HBsAg and those who were negative for the virus (P=0.888). There were statistically significant differences in the seroprevalence of HBsAg recorded among respondents with previous surgery (odd ratio [OR]-2.97; 95% confidence interval [CI]-1.08-16.67; P=0.046), previously affected sibling or spouse (OR-5.03; 95% CI-1.11-25.27; P=0.001) and those with two or more lifetime sexual partners (OR-4.11; 95% CI-2.85-9.22; P=0.024). CONCLUSION The sero-prevalence rate of HBV infection and also its infectivity is high in Lagos, Nigeria. These findings thus support the need for a nationwide policy of routine and widespread HBV screening among pregnant women.