Antenatal screening for HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in the Netherlands is effective

BMC Infectious Diseases

Table 2 Results of blood tests for HIV, HBV and syphilis and the estimated number of prevented congenital infections per year, 2006-2008

	HIV	HBV	Syphilis
Positive diagnoses in pregnancies
2005/'06*†	57	545	142
congenital infections in 2006	1	3	0
2006/'07*	85	669	143
congenital infections in 2007	0	1	5
2007/'08*	86	633	105
congenital infections in 2008	0	1	1
Average number of diagnoses in pregnancy per year (2006-2007)*	75	615	130
Through screening newly diagnosed HIV, HBV or active syphilis per year, as percentage of the total screen-positives*‡§	40%	40%	17%
Prevented children 'at risk' per year*	30	245	20
Transmission risk	20-30%	20-30%	50%
Estimated number of congenital infections prevented per year*\|\|	5-10	50-75	± 10

*Minimum number, based on confirmed test results only
† Source: TNO-rapport 2008.
‡Sources: Stichting HIV Monitoring SHM (HIV), Osiris (HBV) and 'Research voor beleid ' - Research for policy (syphilis).
§ Estimate of the number of active syphilis infections [5]
|| Estimate based on the average transmission risk of mother to child (in the absence of treatment and/or vaccination) and the estimate of the number of new diagnoses (HIV/HBV) or active infection (syphilis) (based on women with a confirmed result)

ISSN: 1471-2334