Antenatal screening for hepatitis B is medically and economically effective in the prevention of vertical transmission: three years experience in a London hospital.
We describe our experience over a three-year period in the detection of antenatal patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriage, and the successful prevention of vertical transmission in the infants of HBsAg-positive women. Nine of the 26 infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers were considered to be at high risk of infection. Eight of these nine remained HBsAg-negative after passive or passive/active immunization. The majority of infants tested had anti-HBs antibody titres above 10 i.u./l from the first month. In comparison with the cost of caring for patients with chronic hepatitis B infection and decompensated cirrhosis, non-selective testing of pregnant women for HBsAg is found to be cost effective.
Brook
M G
MG
Department of Infectious Diseases, Royal Free Hospital Medical School, London.
Lever
A M
AM
Kelly
D
D
Rutter
D
D
Trompeter
R S
RS
Griffiths
P
P
Thomas
H C
HC
D002353:Carrier State / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens