Hepatitis in infants: how is it transmitted and can it be prevented?

The total number of hepatitis B sufferers in Indonesia in 2007 reached 13 million. This figure makes Indonesia rank second after Myanmar as the country with the highest hepatitis cases in Southeast Asia, citing data published by the Indonesian Ministry of Health in 2012. Pregnant women infected with HBV can transmit the virus to their babies during the delivery process. How do you prevent hepatitis transmission to a newborn, if the mother has hepatitis during pregnancy?

What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a contagious liver infection caused by the HBV virus. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted from one person to another through blood, semen, or other body fluids that are contaminated with the virus. Being diagnosed with hepatitis B positive means that you may carry the HBV virus in your body for the rest of your life, which can cause serious liver problems.

In some cases, no symptoms appear in patients with Hepatitis B infection, and they may not even know that they have the disease. In other cases, the patients experienced symptoms similar to the common cold, accompanied by yellowing of their skin and eyes. The only way to detect Hepatitis B infection is to have a blood test.

What is the effect of hepatitis in infants if the mother is infected during pregnancy?

Infants in the womb are generally not affected by the mother's hepatitis virus during pregnancy. However, your baby can become infected at birth, if the mother is positive for the virus. Usually, the disease is passed on to children who are exposed to the mother's blood and vaginal fluids during childbirth. This can happen in normal delivery as well as in a cesarean section.

Hepatitis B virus infection can have a severe impact on the baby. There may be certain increased risks during delivery, such as premature babies, low birth weight babies, or abnormalities in the baby's anatomy and body function (especially in chronic hepatitis B infection). It can threaten their lives.

If a child is infected with the hepatitis B virus as an infant and is not vaccinated as soon as possible, most cases will progress to chronic. Chronic hepatitis can have a negative impact on children's health in the future, in the form of liver damage (cirrhosis) and sometimes liver cancer (especially if accompanied by hepatitis C virus infection). It can also pass the infection on to family members and other people in the future.

How to prevent transmission of hepatitis to infants

1. Routinely check your health during pregnancy

If you are diagnosed with hepatitis while pregnant, consult your liver specialist or gynecologist. The doctor usually recommends a blood test to detect the presence of the hepatitis virus in the body, and whether the disease is acute or chronic. Your doctor may also want to take a sample of liver tissue for examination (biopsy) to determine if you have liver damage.

Blood tests can help the doctor start treatment with antiviral drugs or recommend lifestyle changes that can slow the process of liver damage. Antiviral drugs are prescribed to be taken during your pregnancy if needed. These drugs can reduce the virus in the body and your baby's risk of infection at birth.

This is recommended because HBV infection often begins to damage the liver before causing signs and symptoms.

2. Vaccinate your baby

All newborns should receive their first immunization against hepatitis B virus immediately in the delivery room. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all babies receive the vaccine, regardless of their condition. If the baby is born to a hepatitis positive mother, HBIG immunoglobulin will also be given within the first 12 hours of birth as additional "ammunition" to prevent hepatitis in infants.

If it cannot be given at that time, the vaccine must be given within 2 months of birth. The remaining dose is given in the next 6-18 months. Infants who are given the vaccine as well as HBIG have a more than 90% chance of being protected from hepatitis B infection in their lifetime.

If your newborn does not receive a dose of HBIG in the first 12 hours after birth, you must ensure that he will receive it when he is one month old. The third dose of vaccine should be received by your baby at six months of age to ensure complete protection. He or she will also be offered a booster dose with pre-school vaccinations at around 3 years and 4 months of age. All three HBV injections are required for life-long protection.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.