title: Transmission of hepatitis type B from healthy HBsAg-positive mothers.
abstract: Seventeen mothers, all apparently healthy carriers of hepatitis-B surface antigen (HBsAg) during pregnancy, and their children were studied for four to five years to determine the transmission rate of hepatitis-B virus infection. All the mothers had antibody against hepatitis-B core antigen in addition to HBsAg. One of them, a renal transplant recipient, was persistently positive for hepatitis-B-associated e antigen (HBeAg), while the remaining 16, who were detected during screening of healthy pregnant women were positive for anti-HBe. Evidence of infection was found in the child and husband of the woman positive for HBeAg, while none of the 29 children and five husbands of the anti-HBe-positive women became infected.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002353:Carrier State; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens