Despite the availability of tools to prevent hepatitis B infections, acute and chronic hepatitis have become the seventh leading cause of mortality with more than a million deaths worldwide per year. However, several comprehensive and aggressive strategies for reduction of viral hepatitis have recently been proposed. This article discusses the role of antiviral treatment in pregnant women to prevent perinatal transmission of hepatitis B infections. Although timely prophylaxis is done, perinatal hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission occurs in 5%-15% of infants.
Several prenatal factors such as HBV- infected germ cells, transplacental infection, and invasive prenatal diagnostic tests have been associated with the immunoprophylaxis failure. Moreover, the maternal status of HBV infection and mode of delivery play a crucial role in the failure of immunoprophylaxis. Antiviral Treatment In…
