• Seema Bibi, Saira Dars, Sanober Ashfaq, Roshan Ara Qazi, and Sadaf Akhund.
• Dr. Seema Bibi, FCPS(Obs/Gyn), Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan.
• Pak J Med Sci. 2013 Apr 1; 29 (2): 505-8.

Background And ObjectivesPakistan is among the countries having high prevalence of HCV infection in the population but there is dearth of proper epidemiological data regarding acquisition of HCV infection in the pregnant population. Our objective was to determine the seroprevalence of HCV antibodies in healthy pregnant women and to assess the potential risk factors for HCV infection in HCV positive subjects and in the control group.MethodologyThis cross sectional and comparative study was conducted from 1(st) January to 31(st) December 2010 in the Department of Obstetrics/Gynaecology Unit-I, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad. Sera were collected from all admitted pregnant women and tested for HCV anti bodies using Elisa kits (Abbott, USA). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 statistical package.ResultsThe seroprevalence of HCV among pregnant population was found to be 4.7%. HCV positive women were more likely to have a history of blood transfusion (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.26- 3.12), History of therapeutic injection use (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.43-4.26), history of surgery (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.12-2.66) and history of sharing household products (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.14-2.87).ConclusionHCV seropositive pregnant women were more likely to have a history of blood transfusion, therapeutic injection use, surgery and sharing household items.

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