The CDC recommends a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine for all babies. Pediatrician, Dr. Allison Shuman explains why in this informative video.
If you live in a part of the world where chronic HBV is at a medium (2-7% of population) or high prevalence rate (greater than 8% of population), your child is especially susceptible and at-risk for hepatitis B, with HBV transmission often occurring vertically from mother to child at birth, and horizontally from an HBV infected adult or another child’s infected body fluids to an unvaccinated baby or child. Please be sure that pregnant women are screened for hepatitis B. If mom tests positive for HBV, be sure baby receives a birth dose of the HBV vaccine and a shot of HBIG within 12 hours of birth. If mom tests negative for HBV, be sure that baby receives a birth dose of the HBV vaccine before leaving the hospital. Both babies of HBV infected and uninfected mom’s should receives shots 2 and 3 of the series according to schedule. Babies of infected mom’s should be tested at 18 months to be sure baby is hepatitis B free.
Please make arrangements with your doctor and the hospital to receive the HBV vaccine for your baby, prior to delivery, so you are sure the vaccine and/or HBIG are available at the hospital so prophylaxis can be given within 12 hours of birth. Please feel free to print and distribute Chronic Hepatitis B in Pregnancy: Screening, Evaluation and Management (Part I and Part II) to your doctor.
