A study of the 5,284 pregnant women who delivered at St. Columban’s Hospital in Mokpo City between April 1, 1985 to June 30, 1987 was conducted to determine the presence of hepatitis B viral (HBV) markers in the mothers and infants and to evaluate their effects. Medical histories, physical examinations, liver function studies and the ELISA test for HBV markers were reviewed.The following results were obtained: Of the 5,284 pregnant women, 448 (8.48%) were positive for HBsAg. Three hundred and thirty four women tested positive for HBsAg; 130 (38.92%) were HBeAg positive, 105 (31.44%) were HBeAg and anti-HBe negative, and 99 (29.64%) were anti-HBe positive.Women positive for HBsAg exhibited a slight increase in toxemia (p<0.1), and no significant difference in postpartum hemorrhage (0.05< p <0.1) and the severity of hyper-emesis.SGPT was significantly higher in HBeAg positive women than in HBeAg negative women (p<0.01), and it was significantly more elevated in both eclamptic and preeclamptic women than in normal pregnant women (p<0.005).The frequency of congenital malformation, spontaneous abortion, infantile death and physiologic jaundice was increased in the newborns of chronic HBV carriers, while women with active hepatitis B experienced more premature births.Mother to infant transmission of HBsAg and HBeAg was high in the HBeAg positive group (18.0%, 42.7%) respectively, but very low in the HBeAg negative group (7.8%, 0.0%). Mother to infant transmission of antibodies was in the order of anti-HBc (95.5%), anti-HBe (91.2%) and anti-HBs (75.0%).The effects of the HBV carrier state in pregnant women included increases in toxemia, postpartum hemorrhage, congenital malformations and premature births, however none of them were statistically significant.There was a significant difference in the elevation of SGPT between toxemic and normal pregnant women, and between HBeAg positive and HBeAg negative carrier women.The mother to infant transmission rate of HBeAg was more frequent than that of HBsAg.

The positive rates of hepatitis B viral markers according to many epidemiologic factors were analyzed in 2,873 pregnant women who delivered at St. Columban’s Hospital in Mokpo City from April 1st, 1985 to March 31st, 1986.The following results were obtained: The overall HBsAg positivity in all pregnant women was 8.3%.The positive rate of HBsAg was unrelated to age. It was 13.2% in the 11–20 year age group. 12.5% in the 31–40 year age group, 7.8% in the 21–30 year age group and 0.0% in the 41–50 year age group.The positive rate of HBsAg was slightly related to locality. It was a little higher in women who grew up in rural areas (8.6%) than in urban areas (7.7%).The positive rate of HBsAg was unrelated to educational background.The positive rate of HBsAg was unrelated to economic status. It was 8.7% in the highest income group and 8.6% in the lowest income group.The positive rate of HBsAg was higher in cases who had injections more than four times.The positive rate of HBsAg was higher, but not significantly, in cases who had received blood transfusion.The positive rate of HBsAg was higher, but not significantly, in cases who had more than three siblings (0.05