Influence of hydatid disease on the pregnancy outcomes: An experimental study

Aim: Hydatid disease during pregnancy may lead to various complications in both mother and child. Accordingly, enough knowledge is required to manage these complications. This study was done to evaluate the interaction between hydatid disease and pregnancy in laboratory mice. Methods: Twenty female BALB/c mice (Mus musculus) were divided into test and control groups, 10 animal in each. The mice of the test group were infected intraperitoneally by injection of 1000 protoescolices. Six months after infection, the mice of test and control groups were mated with male mice for a week. After parturition, the size and weight of babies were measured and compared between two groups. Results: While all the mice of control group delivered healthy babies, 3 out of 10 mice of test group showed no pregnancy. The infected mice delivered lower number of babies than the mice of control group. The mean size of fetuses or babies obtained from the infected mice were statistically lower than those obtained from the mice of control group (P=0.000). The weight of babies delivered by the infected mice not only at the time of birth (P=0.005) but also 10days after birth (P=0.021), were significantly lower than those delivered by the mice of control group. The level of progesterone and estradiol in the mice of test group were significantly lower (P=0.009) and higher (P=0.043), respectively, in comparison to the mice of control group. Conclusion: Hydatid disease during pregnancy may considerably affect the pregnancy outcomes.