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Babies born to women who have a high
hepatitis B viral load—especially if the mothers also test positive for
hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)—are more likely to contract hepatitis B, even
when vaccinated against the disease.
The study focused on 303 hepatitis
B-infected mothers and their babies’ risk of contracting the virus during the
first three years of life. Researchers first established the maternal viral
load and HBeAg status—81 women were HBeAg-positive—then gave initial and
follow-up hepatitis B tests to all of the babies. All babies received complete
doses of hepatitis B immunization, and the babies born to HBeAg-positive
mothers also received hepatitis B immunoglobulin within the first 24 hours of
life. The study results controlled for confounding factors, including age,
birth type, gender, weight, gestational age, and feeding practices.
Ten children in the study, all of
whom were born to HBeAg-positive mothers, developed chronic hepatitis B, in
spite of prophylactic measures. To lower risk of hepatitis B infection,
researchers recommended that future screening and treatment interventions
incorporate the study results.
The full report, “Mother-to-Infant
Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus Infection: Significance of Maternal Viral
Load and Strategies for Intervention,” was published online in the Journal of
Hepatology (February 2013; doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2013.02.015).
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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