title: Public health management of perinatal hepatitis B virus.
abstract: Infants who are born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg)-positive women are at high risk for contracting perinatal hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. When maternal status is known, postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) consisting of a birth dose of (HBV) vaccine and Hepatitis B Immune Globulin may be administered within 12 hr of birth to provide 90% protection. Providers' reporting of maternal HBsAg positivity or perinatal HBV should prompt public health nurses to initiate nurse case management (NCM). NCM is the most successful way to ensure that at-risk infants receive PEP and follow-up serology. Unfortunately, reporting laws vary greatly by state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that perinatal HBV is significantly under-reported nationally. This article discusses public health measures for preventing perinatal HBV and presents a case study that used a novel method to assess the extent of under-reporting. We discuss barriers to public health NCM and the importance of a universal HBV vaccine birth dose to protect undetected and unreported cases. Finally, we suggest implications for public health nursing practice.
authors: Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA. libbusk@missouri.edu
authors: Martha Kay
authors: MK
authors: Libbus
authors: Lynelle M
authors: LM
authors: Phillips
mesh_terms: D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008403:Mass Screening; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D015980:Public Health Practice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines