title: Studies on the maternal-infant transmission of the viruses which cause acute hepatitis.
abstract: Eighty-three women with acute icteric hepatitis during pregnancy were followed for evidence of viral transmission to their infants. Six women had acute hepatitis A as diagnosed by appearance of anti-HAV during convalescence. Except for passively acquired antibodies which were present at birth, anti-HAV did not appear in these infants, and there was no clinical or biochemical evidence for hepatitis during follow-up. Sixty-five pregnant women had acute hepatitis B during pregnancy or in the immediate postpartum period. Transmission to infants often occurred when both maternal HBsAg and HBeAg were positive at delivery of postpartum. A majority of these infants never developed jaundice, have remained persistently HBsAg-positive, and have had periodic serum ALT elevations during follow-up. Twelve women had acute non-A, non-B hepatitis during pregnancy. Infants born to 6 of these women near term had transient elevations of serum ALT values at 4-8 wk of age, suggesting maternal transmissibility of the non-A, non-B viral agent.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology; D012712:Serum Globulins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D012712:Serum Globulins