Prevention of perinatal transmission of the hepatitis B virus. Outcome of infants in a community prevention program.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the outcome of infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers who received prenatal and infant care in a large, public health care system.

DESIGN

Follow-up of a cohort of infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers.

SETTING

Large, urban hospital providing prenatal care and obstetric services to county health departments.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty-two infants born to HBsAg-positive women.

INTERVENTIONS

Prenatal testing of women and immunoprophylaxis of infants with hepatitis B immune globulin at birth and hepatitis B vaccine at birth and ages 1 and 6 months.

RESULTS

All 42 infants received hepatitis B immune globulin and the first dose of vaccine. Of forty-one infants (98%) who received the second dose of vaccine, 37 received it by age 4 months. Thirty-two infants (76%) completed the three-dose vaccine series by age 12 months, and 34 infants (81%) completed the series by age 18 months. The rate of completion of the hepatitis B vaccine series was comparable to that of infants receiving the third dose of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine. Of 26 infants who completed the hepatitis B vaccine series and had follow-up serologic testing, 24 (92%) had adequate levels of antibody to HBsAg. Only one infant who did not complete the vaccine series had serologic evidence of hepatitis B virus infection. No infant was HBsAg-positive.

CONCLUSIONS

Public programs serving urban populations can effectively deliver hepatitis B immunoprophylaxis to infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers.