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Hepatitis B virus infection in pregnant mothers and its transmission to infants

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Abstract

Screening for serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection was done on 500 pregnant mothers. HBsAg, AntiHBs and HBeAg were done. HBsAg was positive in 3.6%, AntiHBs in 17.4% and HBeAg in 0.4% cases. The infants born to the asymptomatic HBsAg carrier mothers were followed upto 6 months to determine the vertical transmission of HBV infection. Rate of transmission of infection from HBsAg positive mothers to infants were 16.66% irrespective of HBeAg status, whereas it was nearly 100% in case of HBeAg positive mothers. All of the HBsAg positive infants developed the antigenemia between 3–6 months of age, supporting the hypothesis that intrapartum transmission is the major mode of vertical transmission.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, IPGM & R, Dhaka

    Nurjahan Bhuiyan & T. A. Chowdhury

  2. Department of Virology, IPGM & R, Dhaka

    M. Nazrul Islam

  3. Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka

    Sufia Begum

  4. Department of Pediatrics, IPGM & R, Shahbagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Shahana Akhter & M. Q. K. Talukder

Authors
  1. Shahana Akhter
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  2. M. Q. K. Talukder
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  3. Nurjahan Bhuiyan
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  4. T. A. Chowdhury
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  5. M. Nazrul Islam
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  6. Sufia Begum
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Akhter, S., Talukder, M.Q.K., Bhuiyan, N. et al. Hepatitis B virus infection in pregnant mothers and its transmission to infants. Indian J Pediatr 59, 411–415 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02751551

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02751551

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