RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Effectiveness of Hepatitis B vaccination in children of chronic hepatitis B mothers
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 1414
OP 1418
VO 25
IS 10
A1 Adibi, Peyman
A1 Ghassemian, Rezvan
A1 Alavian, Seyed-Moayed
A1 Ranjbar, Mitra
A1 Mohammadalizadeh, Amir H.
A1 Nematizadeh, Fariborz
A1 Mamani, Mojgan
A1 Rezazadeh, Mahdi
A1 Keramat, Fariba
A1 Ardalan, Ali
A1 Esmaeili, Abbas
A1 Zali, Mohammad R.
YR 2004
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/25/10/1414.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE: Although all newborns in Iran have been vaccinated against hepatitis B since March 1993, routine screening of pregnant women has not been conducted in prenatal care programs, yet transmission of hepatitis B via the maternal-fetal route is still a viable likelihood, which must be entertained.METHODS: The subjects were divided into 2 groups. The exposed group comprised 97 vaccinated children whose mothers were seropositive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and had not received hepatitis immunoglobulin at birth. The unexposed group consisted of 87 vaccinated children whose mothers were seronegative for hepatitis B surface antigen. We compared these 2 groups to determine the efficacy of vaccine alone in high-risk children. This study was conducted in Tehran, Iran, from June 2002 to December 2002. All children were born after 1993.RESULTS: Chronic infection (HBsAg positivity) was detected in 14.3% of children in the exposed group. There were no instances of chronic infection in the unexposed group (relative risk [RR]=13.48, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.8-100.02). Previous infection of hepatitis B (HBcAb positivity) was found in 29 (29.9%) children in the exposed group, but only one (1.2%) in the unexposed group (RR=26.01, 95% CI: 3.61-186.95). Immunity (HBsAb positivity) in the exposed group measured 48 (49.5%) and unexposed group measured 56 (64.4%) (R.R=0.76, 95% CI: 0.59-0.99).CONCLUSION: Vaccination alone did not induce immunity against hepatitis B in high-risk children; it seems that routine screening of pregnant women is necessary for determining whether neonates need hepatitis B immunoglobulin after birth.