Hepatitis B is a viral inflammation of the liver.Perinatal transmission, that is from mother to baby, is a very common mode of transmission of this disease. Therefore, all pregnant women must be screened for hepatitis B infection in the first trimester of pregnancy itself.

Symptoms associated with Hepatitis B:

A woman with hepatitis B can have symptoms ranging from

• Easy Fatigability
• Body Aches
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Loss Of Appetite
• Yellow Discolouration Of Skin And Sclera
• Pale Stools And So On

Effect of Hepatitis B on Pregnancy:

Hepatitis B can have various implications in pregnancy like premature delivery , low birth weight baby , gestational diabetes and bleeding in the third trimester .

Treatment of Hepatitis B :

So all pregnant women who are HBsAg positive must undergo a quantitative analysis of the viral load. If the viral load is high , treatment with anti viral drugs should be started in the third trimester and continued for 4-12 weeks after delivery.

Prevention in the newborn from Hepatitis B infection:

All babies born to infected mothers must receive vaccination and immunoglobulin injection within 12 hours of birth . Next shots of the vaccine are given at 1,2 and 12 months .

Mode of delivery recommended for Hepatitis B positive mother:

There is not enough evidence in support of elective Caesarean section to reduce transmission . Hence , normal deliveries are absolutely fine  to go for .

Breastfeeding recommendation for Hepatitis B positive mother:

Infected mothers can breastfeed their babies except those who are on anti viral drugs .