[Course of pregnancies complicated by viral hepatitis]

It has been described that viral hepatitis is the most frequent cause of jaundice in the pregnant women. In this article we present clinical cases of hepatitis in pregnancy and review the new knowledge about the perinatal repercussion of this association. Hepatitis A is rare in pregnant women and has not a significant perinatal risk. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be transmitted from mother to child by transplacental way or at born. Between 40 to 80 per cent of the children infected by this route will develop chronic hepatitis, so the infants of HBsAg carrier mothers must be immunized at birth. The perinatal transmission of hepatitis C virus has been proved but the repercussion in the fetus or newborn is unknown. Hepatitis D virus can only be transmitted from mother to child together with HBV. Hepatitis E has been associated with a mortality from 10 to 40 per cent in pregnant women and with an increase in the preterm pregnancy.