scholarly journals Is it Safe for a Mother Infected with Hepatitis B Virus to Breastfeed Her Baby?

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-25
Author(s):  
ASM Nawshad Uddin Ahmed ◽  
Md Mahbubul Hoque

One third of the world’s population has been infected by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), causing an enormous burden of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis B virus is transmitted through contact with blood and blood products, by sexual contact, through close contact between children (horizontal transmission), or by perinatal transmission from a carrier mother to her baby. In Asia, perinatal transmission is the major mode of transmission and those who become infected perinatally with HBV are most likely to develop chronic infection. The question of whether breastfeeding by HBV-positive mothers is an additional mechanism by which infants may acquire HBV infection, has been asked for many years. Although small amounts of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) have been detected in some samples of breast milk, there is no evidence that breastfeeding by HBV-carrier mothers increase the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HBV. Infants born to known hepatitis B positive women should receive hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) and hepatitis B vaccine, effectively eliminating any theoretical risk of transmission through breastfeeding. However, neither screening of pregnant women for HBV infection nor use of HBIG is feasible in most developing countries. Routine immunization of infants with hepatitis B vaccine is therefore recommended by the World Health Organization. Bangladesh has already included hepatitis B vaccine as part of routine childhood immunization in EPI program since 2003. Also the risk must be balanced against the increased risk of morbidity and mortality due to malnutrition and diarrheal or other infectious diseases associated with replacement feeding. Malnutrition is responsible, directly or indirectly, for 6.5 million under 5 deaths annually. Thus, even where HBV infection is highly endemic and immunization against HBV is not available, breastfeeding remains the recommended method of feeding. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjch.v35i1.10369 BJCH 2011; 35(1): 20-25

1999 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis J. Mahoney

SUMMARY Acute and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. It is estimated that approximately 350 million people worldwide have chronic HBV infection and that 1 million persons die each year from HBV-related chronic liver disease. In the past decade, significant progress in the understanding of the molecular virology and pathogenesis of HBV infection has been made. In addition, effective treatment modalities have been developed for persons with chronic infection. Worldwide, prevention of HBV transmission has become a high priority. In 1992, the Global Advisory Group to the World Health Organization recommended that all countries integrate hepatitis B vaccine into national immunization programs by 1997. Currently, 80 countries have done so and several others are planning to. Many countries have reported dramatic reductions in the prevalence of chronic HBV infection among children born since the hepatitis B vaccine was introduced into infant immunization schedules. Recent reports from Taiwan indicate a reduction in the incidence of liver cancer among children as a result of widespread hepatitis B vaccination programs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 1751-1768 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Fiorino ◽  
L. Bacchi-Reggiani ◽  
S. Sabbatani ◽  
F. Grizzi ◽  
L. di Tommaso ◽  
...  

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection represents a serious global health problem and persistent HBV infection is associated with an increased risk of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure. Recently, the study of the role of microRNA (miRNA) in the pathogenesis of HBV has gained considerable interest as well as new treatments against this pathogen have been approved. A few studies have investigated the antiviral activity of vitamin E (VE) in chronic HBV carriers. Herein, we review the possible role of tocopherols in the modulation of host miRNA with potential anti-HBV activity. A systematic research of the scientific literature was performed by searching the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and EMBASE databases. The keywords used were ‘HBV therapy’, ‘HBV treatment’, ‘VE antiviral effects’, ‘tocopherol antiviral activity’, ‘miRNA antiviral activity’ and ‘VE microRNA’. Reports describing the role of miRNA in the regulation of HBV life cycle,in vitroandin vivoavailable studies reporting the effects of VE on miRNA expression profiles and epigenetic networks, and clinical trials reporting the use of VE in patients with HBV-related chronic hepatitis were identified and examined. Based on the clinical results obtained in VE-treated chronic HBV carriers, we provide a reliable hypothesis for the possible role of this vitamin in the modulation of host miRNA profiles perturbed by this viral pathogen and in the regulation of some cellular miRNA with a suggested potential anti-HBV activity. This approach may contribute to the improvement of our understanding of pathogenetic mechanisms involved in HBV infection and increase the possibility of its management and treatment.


Author(s):  
◽  
Nurul Kurniati ◽  

ABSTRACT Background: The importance of screening for HBV infection is to identify the risk of perinatal transmission from infected mothers. People infected with HBV during infancy or childhood are more likely to suffer chronic infection to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. Early detection and prompt treatment are essential for HBV infection. This study aimed to review the factors and management of hepatitis B virus screening in mothers and infants. Subjects and Method: A scoping review method was conducted in eight stages including (1) Identification of study problems; (2) Determining priority problem and study question; (3) Determining framework; (4) Literature searching; (5) Article selec­tion; (6) Critical appraisal; (7) Data extraction; and (8) Mapping. The search included PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library, and Scopus databases. The inclusion criteria were English/ Indonesian-language and full-text articles (scoping review, meta-analysis, systematic review)/ documents/ reports/ policy brief/ guidelines from WHO/ other organizations published between 2009 and 2019. The data were selected by the PRISMA flow chart. Results: The searched database obtained a total of 27.862 articles. After screening, 27.325 articles were excluded because of unmet the inclusion criteria. After conducting critical appraisal for the remaining 537 articles, only 11 articles were eligible for further review. The selected articles obtained from developing countries (China, South Africa, and Tanzania) and developed countries (Netherlands, Japan, Denmark, Northern Europe, and Canada) with quantitative studies design (cross-sectional, case series, and cohort) met the inclusion criteria. The findings emphasized on four main topics around hepatitis B virus screening in mothers and infants, namely demographic factors, risk factors, post-screening benefit, and challenges in screening uptake. Conclusion: Early detection of HBV infection with prenatal screening reduce the HBV prenatal transmission, especially from infected pregnancy. Screening plays an important role in the administration of universal infant HBV vaccination and postexposure prophylaxis with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) at birth. Keywords: pregnant women, hepatitis B virus, perinatal transmission, screening Correspondence: Setianingsih. Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta. Jl. Siliwangi (Ringroad Barat) No. 63, Nogotirto, Gamping, Sleman, Yogyakarta, 55292. Email: [email protected]. Mobile: 082242081295. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26911/the7thicph.03.67


Author(s):  
R. Mark Beattie ◽  
Anil Dhawan ◽  
John W.L. Puntis

Epidemiology 418Transmission 418Clinical features 418Interpretation of HBV serology 419Complications 419Prevention 421Management of chronic HBV infection 422• About 2 billion people (1/3 of the world population) show evidence of exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, with 300–400 million showing evidence of chronic HBV infection....


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
In Young Cho ◽  
Yoosoo Chang ◽  
Eunju Sung ◽  
Won Sohn ◽  
Jae-Heon Kang ◽  
...  

AbstractThe impact of depression on the risk of liver-related mortality in individuals with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains unclear. We examined the association between depression, HBV infection, and liver-related mortality. A total of 342,998 Korean adults who underwent health examinations were followed for up to 7.8 years. Depressive symptoms were defined as a Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression score ≥ 16. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During 1,836,508 person-years of follow-up, 74 liver-related deaths and 54 liver cancer deaths were identified (liver-related mortality rate of 4.0 per 105 person-years and liver cancer mortality rate of 2.9 per 105 person-years). Subjects with depressive symptoms had an increased risk of liver-related mortality with a corresponding multivariable aHR of 2.00 (95% CI 1.10–3.63) compared to those without depressive symptoms. This association was more evident in HBsAg-positive participants with a corresponding multivariable aHR of 4.22 (95% CI 1.81–9.88) than HBsAg-negative participants (P for interaction by HBsAg positivity = 0.036). A similar pattern was observed in relation to liver cancer mortality. In this large cohort, depressive symptoms were associated with an increased risk of liver-related mortality, with a stronger association in HBsAg-positive individuals.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-273
Author(s):  
Marjorie B. Hurie ◽  
Eric E. Mast ◽  
Jeffrey P. Davis

There is evidence that hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission continues among Southeast Asian refugees after resettlement. To determine the prevalence of HBV infection (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] positive or core antibody positive) and modes of transmission in Hmong refugee households in Wisconsin, results of serologic tests were reviewed for 429 US-born children not previously vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine and 754 of their Asian-born household members. The prevalence of HBV infection was 14% (62/429) among all US-born children, 30% (21/69) among children whose mothers were HBsAg-positive, and 11% (41/360) among children whose mothers were HBsAg-negative. Among children whose mothers were HBsAg-negative, the prevalence of HBV infection increased with increasing age (χ2 test for trend = 5.6, P .02) and was related to the household presence of HBsAg-positive sibling(s) (relative risk 4.0; 95% confidence interval = 1.5, 9.3; P < .001). Of the 62 infected children, 13 (21%) lived in households with no HBsAg-positive household members. US-born children of Hmong refugees apparently acquire HBV infection through both horizontal and perinatal transmission. These findings emphasize the importance of routinely integrating hepatitis B vaccine doses into the childhood vaccination schedule for all infants whose parents are from areas where HBV infection is highly endemic. In addition, the findings support the need for pediatricians to consider vaccinating older children (up to age 7 years) whose parents are from HBV-endemic areas.


Kanzo ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 675-677
Author(s):  
Haruki Komatsu ◽  
Kentaro Iwasawa ◽  
Ayano Inui ◽  
Tomoyuki Tsunoda ◽  
Shuichiro Umetsu ◽  
...  

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