The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence and epidemiology of hepatitis C virus
(HCV) infection in pregnant women in the North Thames region, and in the UK in general.
Demographic data were linked to neonatal samples prior to anonymization and testing by anti-HCV
EIA, and with RIBA 3 confirmation. Risk factors for maternal infection were explored.
Area-specific seroprevalence rates were multiplied into population sizes to estimate HCV
prevalence in pregnant women in the UK. A total of 241/126009 samples were confirmed anti-HCV
positive, and a further 40 were indeterminate, representing a seroprevalence of
0·19–0·22%; 51% of maternal HCV infections were in UK-born women (71% of the
population), and 22% in women from continental Europe (5% of the population). Among
European-born women, HCV prevalence was associated with birth in continental Europe,
partner not being notified at birth registration, partner born in a different region to the
mother, and inner city residence. Four of the 241 anti-HCV positive samples (1·7%) were also
anti-HIV-1 positive. It was estimated that each year an estimated 1150 out of 730000
pregnancies in the UK would involve a woman infected with HCV (uncertainty range
660–1850), a prevalence of 0·16% (0·09–0·25%). On the basis of reported rates of mother-to-child
transmission of HCV, this would represent approximately 70 paediatric HCV infections
per year.