Objective: To explore the impact of maternal hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier status on the occurrence of preterm birth.
Methods: We analyzed pregnancy-related complications, outcomes and fetal growth index in 188 HBsAg positive singleton pregnant women during the period of May 2009 to July 2011, with 265 HBsAg-negative women with singleton pregnancies in the same period serving as controls.
Results: The HBsAg-positive pregnant women showed a significantly higher incidence of placenta praevia than the control group (2.66% vs 0%, P=0.03), and the incidence of preterm delivery (<37 weeks) was also significantly higher in HBsAg-positive group (12.23% vs 6.04%, P=0.02). The incidences of gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, abnormal glucose tolerance, premature rupture of membranes, cesarean delivery, and postpartum hemorrhage showed no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05), nor did the fetal birth weight, height, head circumference or Apgar scores at 1, 5, and 10 min (P>0.05). Logistic regression identified HBsAg positivity, abnormal ALT, placenta praevia, and severe preeclampsia as the risk factors for preterm delivery.
Conclusion: HBsAg carrier status can increase the risk of preterm delivery in pregnancy, but it does not seem to affect the fetal growth.