Prevention and Standard of Care

Hepatitis B can be passed from a positive mother to her infant during birth. Approximately 90% of infants who become infected with hepatitis B within the first year of life will develop chronic infection. The purpose of the Louisiana Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program is to decrease and eliminate the transmission of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) from mother-to-child in the state of Louisiana. The program was established in 1990 and has been successful in reducing HBV in adults and infants by following national guidelines that include:

  • Universal screening of pregnant women for of HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) during every pregnancy.
  • Timely reporting (within 1 business day according to the State of Louisiana Sanitary Code, LAC: 51:II.105) of positive cases to the state health department.
  • Universal vaccination of all infants with the complete 3-dose hepatitis B vaccine series, including the first dose at birth.
  • Ensuring proper immunoprophylaxis, hepatitis B birth dose and hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) within 12 hours of birth, for all infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers and mother of unknown hepatitis B status
  • For infants born to infected mothers, completion of the 3-dose hepatitis B vaccine series by 6 months of age and the completion of post-vaccination serologic testing (HBsAg and anti-HBs) between 9-12 months of age.

Reporting Requirements

According to the State of Louisiana Sanitary Code, LAC: 51:II.105, hepatitis B in pregnant women is a Class B Disease. A positive hepatitis B result in a pregnant woman is required to be report within 1 business day of receipt of the positive lab result.

Please report cases to the Louisiana Perinatal Hepatitis B Program by phone (504) 568-2600 or by faxing the Perinatal Hepatitis B Surveillance Form to (504) 568-2659. Cases can also be reported by clicking here.

Universal Hepatitis B Birth Dose

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend that all newborns receive the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine before discharge from the hospital or birthing facility. The CDC National Quality Forum (NQF) Perinatal Measure 0475 encourages that each hospital and birthing facility to measure the rate of administration of the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine to all infants prior to discharge during a specific time period (usually one calendar year).

 

Information for Pregnant Women and Mothers

 

Information for Prenatal Care Providers

 

Information for Birthing Hospitals

Additional Resources