Hyderabad: The Hepatitis B surface antigen is risky for pregnant women as it leads to transmission of the infection to the child. This was found in a recent study conducted in a tertiary hospital in Hyderabad.
The study covered more than 7,000 pregnant women from January 1, 2015, to November 2016, of whom 57 tested positive for Hepatitis B. The researchers stated that maternal complications included abortions, preterm birth, infections and kidney failures, leading to maternal mortality.
With the death of women in Nilofeur hospital, the study assumes significance as the rate of studied pregnant women showing the infection is high than that from Kerala which was only 0.21 percent.
The researchers concluded that every woman who comes to the health clinic at any of the stages must be screened for Hepatitis B and it must be properly followed. The researchers also stated that proper interventions must be done so that the disease does not get transmitted into the newborns.
