Perinatal Transmission
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Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in a pregnant woman poses a serious risk to her infant at birth. Without postexposure immunoprophylaxis, approximately 40% of infants born to HBV-infected mothers in the United States will develop chronic HBV infection, approximately one-fourth of whom will eventually die from chronic liver disease.
Perinatal HBV transmission can be prevented by identifying HBV-infected (i.e., Hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg]-positive) pregnant women and providing Hepatitis B immune globulin and Hepatitis B vaccine to their infants within 12 hours of birth.
Preventing perinatal HBV transmission is an integral part of the national strategy to eliminate Hepatitis B in the United States. National guidelines call for the following:
- Universal screening of pregnant women for HBsAg during each pregnancy
- Case management of HBsAg-positive mothers and their infants
- Provision of immunoprophylaxis for infants born to infected mothers, including Hepatitis B vaccine and Hepatitis B immune globulin
- Routine vaccination of all infants with the Hepatitis B vaccine series, with the first dose administered at birth
Guidelines and Recommendations
Hepatitis B Vaccination Recommendations for Infants, Children, and
Adolescents
MMWR 2005;54(RR-16)
Corrected Table 4: Hepatitis B Immunization Management of Preterm Infants Weighing <2,000 g, by Maternal Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Status [PDF - 1 page]
Related Article:
Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccination Coverage Among Children Born January 2003–June
2005 — United States
MMWR 2008;57(30):825-828
Scientific Tools and Resources
Commercial Hepatitis B Serologic Assays
Interpretation of Hepatitis B Serologic Test Results
This one page tool describes the four most common tests used in hepatitis B serologic testing and provides guidance to interpret different patterns of test results.
Summary Table [PDF- 1 page]
Policies and Procedures for Prenatal Care and Delivery Hospitals
Prenatal Care
Prenatal Care Provider Policies and Procedures [PDF - 1 page]
Delivery Hospitals
Delivery Hospital Policies and Procedures to Prevent Perinatal HBV Transmission [PDF - 1 page]
Sources for HBIG
HBIG Tables for download [PDF - 2 pages]
Reporting Requirements by State
Maternal Hepatitis B Screening and Reporting Requirements (by State)
Public Health Department Perinatal Hepatitis B Coordinator List
Contact information for state, territorial, and local coordinators who work in the health department and provide case management to prevent perinatal transmission of HBV infection
Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Coordinator List
Childhood Immunization Schedule
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/default.htm#child
Case Management
Patient Education Tools
Fact Sheets
| Title | English | Other Languages | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color | B/W | Color | B/W | |
| Hepatitis B and Your Baby | Spanish | Spanish | ||
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)Educational Slide Presentations
This slide presentation is audio-visual educational tool that describes the importance of getting babies vaccinated against hepatitis B if a mother has hepatitis B infection. It can be played from the website, or downloaded and printed to be used as a flip chart. The 13 page slide presentation uses plan and simple language. Audio is available in:
- Mandarin Chinese
- Hmong
- Korean
- Vietnamese
- Tagalog/Taglish (written only)
- English
Hepatitis B and Your Healthy Baby
This slide presentation is a 24 page illustrated educational tool for pregnant women who have Hepatitis B. The slide presentation explains the importance of getting babies vaccinated against Hepatitis B to prevent transmission of the disease. It is available in a written format only, but can be downloaded and printed to be used as a flip chart. The text is in easy to understand English, and also available in Spanish.
Specific Sites and Tools
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Program Resources
Hepatitis B Vaccine at BirthVariety of materials on the birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine -
CDC Resources
State Immunization Laws for Health Care Workers and Patients
Maternal Hepatitis B screening and reporting requirements (by state)Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Coordinators Program Page
A resource center for CDC-funded perinatal Hepatitis B prevention programs
Outside CDC (
Other
Federal sites
State/Local sites
