[Viral hepatitis in pregnant women--the relationship of the severity of the disease to the etiology of the infection].

The author summarizes the experience of many years (1956-1989) gained with studies into the relationship between the gravity of viral hepatitides in the pregnant and etiology of disease. Virus A hepatitis runs a favourable course in the pregnant, i.e. without severe and fulminant forms. In virus B hepatitis, the pregnant women are threatened with the development of hepatic coma associated with a high maternal lethality. The latter one has noticeably been decreasing over the recent years (from 1.79% in 1956-1965 to 0.29% in 1966-1980 and to 0.21% in 1981-1989, which is not so much related to the perfection of the treatment methods as to the diminution of the share of virus B hepatitis. Virus E hepatitis may be of the greatest mortal danger for mothers in conditions of water epidemic. In that case the lethality among pregnant women may reach 12.1% (in the Turkmenian SSR) and 15.6% (in the Kirghiz SSR). The aggravating influences of virus C and D hepatitides on the pregnancy outcomes and maternal lethality have not been studied much. Estimation of etiological factors in viral hepatitis occurring in the pregnant is an important prerequisite for organization of the rational preventive and treatment measures.