Patient's question:
I have hepatitis B (minor positive), and now my baby has just been born. I'm very sad because I'm worried about it being passed down to my child. So, I want to consult a doctor. My mother has hepatitis B (minor positive), and my baby was born prematurely with low birth weight, weighing only 4.5 pounds. Will this hepatitis B be passed down to my child? Can I breastfeed?Doctor's answer:
Hepatitis B is a blood-borne infectious disease, not a genetic disorder. Generally, pregnant women who are positive for hepatitis B virus may transmit the virus to newborns during pregnancy and childbirth. If the mother is an hepatitis B carrier, it is recommended that the newborn receive standardized automatic immune interruption measures after birth, including hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immune globulin. Premature and low-birth-weight infants do not affect the vaccination of hepatitis B immune globulin, but they may require four doses of hepatitis B vaccine. After the newborn receives standardized automatic immune measures, breastfeeding is permissible.