Comparison of Foetal and Maternal Outcomes  in Pregnant Women with and without Hepatitis-E

Majid Ahmed Shaikh; Erum Majid Shaikh; Faiza Sadaqat Ali; Takasur Bibi .; Bader Faiyaz Zuberi

doi:10.71104/jsogp.v16i3.1115

Majid Ahmed Shaikh Associate Professor, Department of Medicine,
Erum Majid Shaikh Associate Professor, Department of Gynaecology & Obstetrics Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan
Faiza Sadaqat Ali Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi
Takasur Bibi . Department of Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan
Bader Faiyaz Zuberi Meritorious Professor (Rtd), Department of Medicine OMI Hospital, Karachi

DOI: https://doi.org/10.71104/jsogp.v16i3.1115

Keywords: Hepatitis-E, Hepatitis in pregnancy, Maternal outcomes

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of Hepatitis-E infection on maternal and foetal outcomes in pregnant women presenting with jaundice.

Methodology: This prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and the Hepatology Clinic, Dr Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi, from February 2023 to January 2026. All pregnant women presenting with jaundice were included, based on the presence of Hepatitis-E virus (HEV) antibodies they were segregated into HEV Pos and HEV Neg groups. Maternal and foetal outcomes were compared across these groups. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.0.

Results: This study compared comorbidities, serological markers, and maternal and foetal outcomes among two groups: HEV Pos & HEV Neg. No significant differences were observed in diabetes, hypertension, acute HAV infection, or HBsAg positivity across groups (p > .05) HCV antibody positivity was significantly greater in the HEV Neg Group (p = .006). Maternal mortality was slightly high in Study HEV Pos Group (12.1%) as compared to HEV Neg Group (8.1%), but it was not significant (p = .386). Foetal outcomes were poor among HEV Pos Group, with increased rates of intrauterine growth restriction, stillbirth, and abortion, and a lower frequency of healthy live births (p <.001).

Conclusion: Hepatitis-E infection in pregnancy is associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse foetal outcomes compared to HEV-negative pregnant women while no significant increase in maternal mortality was observed as between two groups.