[ad_1]
- Only 84-88% of women report being screened for hepatitis B during pregnancy.
- If hepatitis B is diagnosed in a pregnant woman, the doctor may take steps to reduce the risk of transmission to the fetus.
- Infants who contract Hepatitis B during childbirth are much more likely to develop chronic liver disease later in life.
Today, the US Task Force on Prevention Services (USPSTF) has confirmed its
This confirms a previous recommendation from the volunteer group of national experts in health and medicine, said Dr. Lisa Valle, a gynecologist at Providence Saint John's Center in Santa Monica, California. It is also based on the recommendations of other national organizations.
"The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has already approved screening for hepatitis B in all pregnant women during the first trimester as well," said Valle.
However, despite the affirmation of the advice issued more than ten years ago, only
Only 26 states require that all pregnant women be screened for hepatitis B (HBV), and only 19 of these require that this be done at the first prenatal visit or shortly after confirmation of the pregnancy.
Screening pregnant women is the easiest way to quickly detect HBV infection.
This can help health care providers and parents prevent a child from being infected by his or her mother before or during birth.
They can also take care of the mother and prevent the symptoms or complications of the infection, including pain and jaundice, during pregnancy.
"Vertical transmission – transmission from mother to child – remains an important cause of new hepatitis B infections, so prenatal screening is a way to try to intervene early at home. patients with high viral load and potentially reduce the risk of transmission during pregnancy, "said Dr. Elizabeth Dierking, FACOG, director of the residency program at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology's Health Network. St. Luke University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
"This also allows doctors and nurses to take extra precautions during labor, delivery, and the initial period of the newborn, which can further reduce this risk of transmission."
Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver. It is spread by contact with infected blood or body fluids. This includes blood and badl secretions during childbirth.
HBV is mainly transmitted through badual intercourse or intravenous drug use. But it can also be shared between the mother and the infant during pregnancy or childbirth.
Without prophylactic treatment, an infant born to a woman with HBV has a
Avoiding transmitting the infection from mother to child is a strategic concern for health care providers because a hepatitis B infection can have lasting health consequences, including " chronic infection, cirrhosis of the liver and cancer, "said Valle.
According to
Dr. Heather Figueroa, a gynecologist at the Children's Hospital of Loma Linda University, added that women at higher risk of HBV infection included [people with a] history of use of anti-HIV drugs, some badual exposures, immunocompromised people and those born or living in high prevalence areas', but all pregnant women are also considered high risk.
After the initial screening at the first prenatal visit, Figueroa said that some doctors would repeat screenings after 26 to 28 weeks and again at 36 weeks just before delivery. Other projections may also be given at that time.
"All women in our office are screened for antenatal care during the first visit to Hepatitis B and Hep C," says Dr. David Garry, DO, Director of Maternal Medicine and fetus at Stony Brook Medicine.
"New York State has required screening for hepatitis B during pregnancy for more than 20 years."
If an infection is detected, treatment can help prevent complications and transmission.
"There are several treatment options that can help reduce vertical transmission rates. These include antiviral drugs for high viral dependents and / or hepatitis B immunoglobulin therapy for the newborn, "said Dr. Ruofan Yao, MD, a gynecologist at the University of Ottawa. Children's Hospital of Loma Linda University.
A three-part hepatitis B vaccine is also often given to newborns, regardless of the mother's HBV status. The first dose should be administered within hours, Figueroa said.
However, the USPSTF report indicates that only 71% of infants born in the United States receive their first HBV vaccine within three days of birth. At age three, about 90% of children born in the United States received all three vaccines.
With the introduction of the hepatitis B vaccine and increased screening during pregnancy, acute infections with hepatitis B decreased significantly from 9.6 per 100,000 people in 1982 to 0 , 9 per 100,000 in 2014, according to the report.
This tells researchers that a combination of screening tests and vaccines is likely to work as expected: maintaining maternal and newborn safety throughout pregnancy and beyond.
The renewed focus on screening for hepatitis B in all pregnant women draws attention to the importance of quickly identifying an infection. Treatment is possible, which can help prevent maternal complications and infant transmission.
If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, talk to your doctor or health care provider at your next appointment. Learn about HBV testing, as well as any other screening that may be vital to your health and that of a developing fetus.
"It's a disease whose consequences can be prevented by vaccination," Figueroa said.
Source link
