Hepatitis B and pregnancy: challenges in India
Narayanswamy, K.
Journal of the Indian Medical Association 109(10): 766-767
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5847 PMID: 22482331 Document Number: 574728
Hepatitis B is a global public health problem, with the highest number of hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive cases in China and India and being asymptomatic, the disease burden under appreciated. It is a unique challenge to manage HBV infection in pregnant women, with consequences to both mother and newborn. About 12 studies in the Indian subcontinent have looked specifically at the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity in the pregnant women. The prevalence rate of HBsAg positivity in pregnant women varies from 1-9% in different parts of the country. The government/Ministry of Health and family Welfare/health institutes in India need to develop a mandate policy for the prevention of perinatal transmission of HBV infection, to minimise the risk for perinatal HBV transmission, and for the management of HBV during and after pregnancy. A step forward can be taken by implementing universal childhood hepatitis B immunisation (adopted by more than 160 countries) in National Immunisation programme to reduce HBV carrier rate and thereby the incidence of long-term consequences like cirrhosis and liver cancer.