Seropositivity of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Among Pregnant Women Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem in pregnancy due to the potential for perinatal transmission and poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study aimed to assess the seropositivity of HBsAg among pregnant women attending a tertiary care hospital. Methods & Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at the Department of Microbiology, Ashiyan Medical College & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2025 to December 2025 on 130 pregnant women. Participants were recruited through consecutive sampling after informed consent, and empirical data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic, obstetric, clinical, and exposure-related data. The HBsAg was tested in venous blood samples, and the association with seropositivity was evaluated with the chi-square test, with p<0.05 being statistically significant. Results: The overall seropositivity of HBsAg was 5.4% (7/130). There were no statistically significant differences between HBsAg positivity and age, residence, gravidity, attendance at antenatal care, or history of miscarriage (p>0.05). Significant associations were observed with previous blood transfusion (21.4% vs 3.4%, p=0.027), family history of hepatitis B (25.0% vs 3.4%, p=0.017), a known HBsAg-positive husband (40.0% vs 4.0%, p=0.023), and history of jaundice (25.0% vs 4.1%, p=0.049). Conclusions: The HBsAg seropositivity of pregnant women in this tertiary care center is intermediate and blood transfusion history, family history of hepatitis B, spousal HBsAg positivity, and previous jaundice are associated factors with HBsAg seropositivity.