Hepatitis B maternal-fetal transmission in Southern Europe.

Screening of pregnant women for hepatitis B surface antigen especially in countries with a high carrier rate as in Southern Europe is absolutely necessary for the control and elimination of the disease. In most Southern European countries screening of pregnant women is highly recommended. In Greece the carrier rate in pregnant women varies between 2.8 and 3.0%. However, only 63.1% of mothers at delivery had been screened before admission to the maternity hospital. To avoid legal problems arising from obligatory screening, educational campaigns, lectures, pamphlets and further measures to increase screening of pregnant women and administering hepatitis B immunoglobulin and vaccine should be taken.