Current Prevalence of Hepatitis B Infection among Parturient Women in Jakarta, Indonesia

Aim: to determine the current prevalence of hepatitis B infection among parturient women in Jakarta, Indonesia. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in women giving birth between May and July 2009, recruited by consecutive sampling technique in 2 hospitals and 13 public health centers in Jakarta. Mothers with history of chronic liver disease were excluded. Data were collected by questionnaires including obstetric history, hepatitis B immunization history, and the presence of jaundice; maternal venous blood samples were taken before parturition for HBsAg determination that was performed by ELISA. Results: of 1,009 parturient women screened for hepatitis B infection, 22 were found positive, giving an overall hepatitis B prevalence of 2.2%, previous 5.2% in 1985. None of the subjects had any symptoms of HBV infection. The highest HBsAg prevalence was found in the East Jakarta study site, with predominance in mothers aged < 20 years and those with multi-parities. Conclusion: present prevalence of HBsAg among Indonesian parturient women in Jakarta was 2.2% and markedly reduced compared with prevalence in 1985.