Dear Doctor;I have Hepatitis B and yet I’m pregnant. What can I do to ensure I don’t pass it on to my baby or it isn’t possible? Claire, 28.Dear Claire,Hepatitis B is a disease caused by hepatitis B virus, where there is chronic infection and inflammation of the liver cells.The main mode of acquiring and transmitting the infection is through unprotected sexual intercourse. Transfusion of blood or blood products contaminated with the virus forms another mode of spread of the infection.Infection also occurs due to injections by contaminated syringe and needles. Hepatitis B also spreads from mother to the baby across the placenta during pregnancy. I would advise that you see a gynecologist and seek their advice early enough.What would happen if my baby did get Hepatitis B?If you are an HBV carrier and have not received the antibodies, your chances of transmitting the virus to your baby at birth are about 10 to 20 percent unless she receives treatment within 12 hours of birth. (The risk of transmission is 80 to 90 percent if you became infected with hepatitis B during your third trimester.)Infants who become infected might not have any symptoms right away but are much more likely than adults (90 per cent instead of 5 to 10 per cent) to become chronic carriers. Chronic carriers may spread the virus throughout their lives and are at higher risk of developing and dying from liver disease or cancer. There is no cure for hepatitis B, although certain drugs are effective at controlling liver disease in about 40 per cent of infected people.Additional information from babycentre.com
