Abstract: Background: Hepatitis B Virus infection is a serious global public health problem with Prevalence rate of 0.9 to 11.2% among women. Vertical transmission rate of HBsAg Positive mothers who are HBe Antigen Positive is 60-90%. Antiviral therapy with Telbivudine in third trimester of pregnancy in HBeAg Positive mothers with high viral load is required to prevent maternal to child transmission rate.
Objective: To identify HbsAg Positive antenatal women, to evaluate their viraemic status and prevent vertical transmission with anti viral therapy during third trimester of Pregnancy.
Material & Methods: This is a two centers Prospective cohort study conducted in antenatal women attending Government Victoria Hospital & Medical Gastroenterology department, King George Hospital, Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam from February 2018 to January 2019.
6500 Antenatal Women attending OPD were screened for HBsAg and evaluation of anti HBeAg, LFT and HBV Viral loads done. In the women with HBV DNA > 105 copies Telbivudine therapy was given in third trimester of pregnancy.
The babies were checked for HBsAg & HBV DNA at birth and also for anti HBsAg at 7th month.
Observations & results: Out of the 6,500 women screened, 100 (1.5%) were HBsAg positive. Of these 10% were HBeAg positive and 2% HBV DNA Positive (> 10 5 copies/ml on treatment with Telbivudine in third trimester, the HBV DNA level is below 105 Copies /ml.
The babies were negative for HBsAg & HBV DNA at birth and at 7th month and Ab to HBS at 7th Month.
Conclusion: Treatment of the mother with Telbivudine resulted in prevention of almost all cases of vertical transmission and none of the infants were HBsAg Positive.
Indexed in Index Copernicus
