title: The pregnant hepatitis B carrier: evidence favoring comprehensive antepartum screening.
abstract: The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among 15,399 gravidas screened in the prenatal clinic at Charity Hospital of Louisiana in New Orleans was 0.88%. The race-specific prevalence was 0.56% for whites, 0.62% for blacks, and 8.8% for Orientals. Identifiable risk factors could not be found for approximately half of the hepatitis B surface antigen-positive women. Comprehensive antepartum hepatitis B screening is recommended, based upon the significant risk of perinatal transmission to the neonate and upon the failure of selective screening to identify the majority of maternal hepatitis B surface antigen carriers in our population. The cost-effectiveness of general antepartum screening compares favorably with current blood bank hepatitis screening costs.
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008145:Louisiana; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens