[Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus].

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is a major mode of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission, especially in high endemic areas. Administration of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and hepatitis B vaccine to infants at birth, followed by completion of the vaccine series, prevented approximately 95% of HBV transmission from HBsAg-positive mothers to their infants. However, immunoprophylaxis failure was still observed in 5~10% infants born to mothers with high levels of viremia. It was demonstrated that antiviral nucleot(s)ide analogues (NUCs) provided to pregnant women with high viral loads in late pregnancy further reduced MTCT. This paper discussed criteria of antiviral treatment for prevention of MTCT including threshold of HBV DNA level in pregnant women, time of starting treatment, time of stopping treatment, and kind of NUCs. The route of hepatitis B vaccine administration was also discussed.