Hepatitis B Core IgM Detection in Neonates Born to HBsAg and HBeAg Positive Mothers in Maiduguri, Nigeria | Chapter 08 | Emerging Research in Medical Sciences Vol. 2
Hepatitis B virus is a serious global public health problem and is endemic in Africa, including Nigeria. Infection of pregnant women during the second and third trimester poses a threat of 10 and 90% respectively for vertical transmission. A total of ninety two blood samples from consenting pregnant women were screened for HBsAg and HBeAg using ELISA kit (Cortez Diagnostic Inc, USA). Cord blood samples collected from five neonates of women positive for HBsAg and HBeAg were screened for HBcIgM using the same test kit. Questionnaire was used to collect data on demography, history of blood transfusion and presence of tribal mark from the pregnant women. Overall prevalences of 8.7% (8/92) and 5.4% (5/92) for HBsAg and HBeAg seromarkers, respectively were obtained. Mean age of the pregnant women was 25.75 with 27.2% within 20–24 years and 28.3% within 25–29 years, however this distribution was not statistically significant (p= 0.6840). Fifty percent (50%) of HBsAg positive women were with...