Evaluation of anti-rubella igg antibody among pregnant and childbearing women in Babylon province Iraq

الملخص EN

Background : In countries where the rate of susceptible women to rubella infection is higher than 10 %, preconception or prenatal screening is important to reduce the burden of the disease. Objectives : Determination of anti-rubella IgG seropositivity and susceptibility rates among pregnant and childbearing women in Alhela / Babylon province. Subjects and methods : A total of 184 women were enrolled in the present study which was conducted in al-Hella / Babylon province during the period from 1st May / 2010 to 15th September / 2011.

Ninety eight pregnant women were chosen from those attending the primary health care centers in Al-Hela.

They include 46 (46.9 %) who had previous abortions with a mean age 27.2 ± 5.3 years, and 52 (53.1 %) without previous abortion with mean age 23.7 ± 5.1 years.

Additionally, 86 non-pregnant childbearing women were enrolled as a control group.

Of those, 39 (45.3 %) had previous abortion with mean age 33.5 ± 7.8 years.

Certain demographic factors were collected by personal interview.

Anti-rubella IgG specific antibody were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 13 computer assisted program.

P value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results : The results revealed that the IgG seropositivity among pregnant women without previous abortion, and those with previous abortion was 96.1 % and 76 % respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.04).

The seropositivity among non-pregnant women without previous abortion, and those with previous abortion was 85.1% and 100% respectively, with statistically insignificant difference (P=0.11).

The overall susceptibility rate for rubella infection was 10.7%.

There was insignificant effect of age, educational levels, residency, presence of pregnancy, and history of previous abortion on the seropositivity rate of IgG specific anti-rubella antibody.

Conclusion : Evaluation of the susceptibility of women in reproductive age to rubella infection is essential to set a strategy for prevention of congenital rubella syndrome.