Consideration Whether Hepatitis B Exists in Children Whose Mothers Suffer from Chronic Hepatitis B and These Mothers in Gestational Age

Abstract

Objectives: Perinatal and intrauterine transmission of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) represents a major factor, leading to the development of chronic infection. This study aimed to explore the status of mothers and their children for hepatitis B (HB) infection during pregnancy and childhood, and whether active and passive immunoprophylaxis was administered to infants shortly after birth. Materials and Methods: We performed multicenter, retrospective research on voluntary hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers admitted to infectious diseases polyclinics was performed. Mothers and their children were queried by a questionnaire about their HB infection status. Data from the electronic data recording system was scanned retrospectively. Results: Three hundred-one mothers and 616 children were included in the study. HBsAg was examined in 354 (57.4%) of pregnancies. Of 91 children with HBsAg positivity, 83 were not applied active and passive immunoprophylaxis after birth. Eight 276 babies received both immune prophylaxes after birth were then detected as HBsAg positive. On HBV examination, 148 children were found to encounter the HBV. HBsAg positivity rate was significantly higher in children born before 1997. Conclusion: The remarkable decrease in HBsAg positivity of children reveals the efficacy of national vaccination. By informing both healthcare workers and society, awareness about examining pregnants for HBsAg during pregnancy should be increased.