title: [Hepatitis B in children].
abstract: Central to immunization programmes is that hepatitis B virus infection in infancy is much more likely to result in the chronic carrier state than if infection occurs in adulthood. In areas of high endemicity like south-eastern Asia most infections occur when chronically infected women transmit hepatitis B virus to their newborns or when chronically infected children transmit the virus to other children. In the Netherlands, the endemicity is considered low; seroprevalence studies showed that 0.8% of the pregnant women are HBsAg-positive. To prevent mother to child transmission of hepatitis B a national immunization program has recently been implemented to prevent perinatal infection in approximately 450 neonates each year. Horizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus also seems possible in children since persistent carriers are found in (medical) centres and institutions for mentally handicapped. Since hepatitis B infections acquired during early childhood are likely to progress to chronicity and liver disease in adult life some risk factors for children in the Netherlands to contract hepatitis B infection are described and the immunization strategy is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Afd. Inwendige Geneeskunde II, Academisch Ziekenhuis Dijkzigt, Rotterdam.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Grosheide
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Rothbarth
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Gerards
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens
vernacular_title: Hepatitis B bij kinderen.