Wiener klinische Wochenschrift. Supplementum
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Wien Klin Wochenschr Suppl · Jan 1985
[Vertical hepatitis B transmission in the Vienna area: epidemiologic and clinical studies].
This paper makes a summary on epidemiological and clinical experiences gained in Vienna since 1974 on the transmission of hepatitis B from mother to child (vertical hepatitis B transmission). 1. Hepatitis B and pregnancy: Whereas acute hepatitis B does not occur often in pregnant women, and HBs-antigen carrier status was found in 23 of 4,500 (0.52%) pregnant women examined prospectively. Three women were HBs-antigen positive, 18 were anti-HBe positive, and in no woman signs for an infection with delta-agent were found. ⋯ The human milk is probably only important as source of infection if it is contaminated by bleeding rhagades. 4. Course of the disease in infected children: The following course of disease was observed prospectively and retrospectively: subclinical infection, acute hepatitis B, fulminant hepatitis B (including two cases in siblings), asymptomatic carrier status, chronic persistent hepatitis B, chronic aggressive hepatitis B. The course of infection in the child seems to be influenced by the HBe-antigen status of the mother: In children of anti-HBe positive mothers HBs-antigen elimination is a frequent occurrence during the course of infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)