When pregnant, you may undergo a test called HBsAg. So what does it mean if the HBsAg test is positive in pregnant women?
Keep reading to learn more about this test method and how to keep your baby safe from hepatitis B infection.
Let’s take a look at the explanation of the HBsAg test for pregnant women below.
What is HBsAg?
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) is a test performed to detect hepatitis B. If the HBsAg test shows a positive result, you are declared infected with hepatitis B and can recover with immediate treatment.
Hepatitis B is an infection that causes inflammation and possible damage to the liver. The prefix “hep-” refers to the liver while “itis” is used to describe inflammation. Hepatitis B is a type of viral hepatitis.
Hepatitis B is a serious infection that has the potential to cause severe liver damage, including an increased risk of chronic liver disease and death.
The liver is an important organ for your body because it breaks down nutrients and drugs, releases substances that help fight infections, and acts as a blood filter.
Transmission of hepatitis B that often occurs is from parents who give birth to their children during pregnancy and birth.
Babies born to mothers with hepatitis B have a greater than 90% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B if they are not properly treated at birth, reported from the Hep B Foundation website.
Function of the HBsAg Test, Mothers Should Understand
The HBsAg test aims to see if you have the potential to transmit the hepatitis B virus. If the test result is positive, then you are declared to have hepatitis B and are at risk of spreading the virus to the fetus.
It is very important for pregnant women to know their hepatitis B status to prevent transmission of the virus to their newborn babies during labor.
If your doctor knows that you have hepatitis B, he can ensure that transmission of hep B to your baby can be prevented by taking the right steps.
After the doctor analyzes the blood test results, the doctor will also try to make arrangements to provide the right medication in the delivery room to prevent the baby from being infected.
In Which Trimester Is The HBsAg Test Performed?
All pregnant women should be tested for hepatitis B by measuring HBsAg, ideally in the first trimester, or as soon as they see their healthcare provider.
If HBsAg is positive, the pregnant woman should be referred to a hepatologist for counseling, and all first-degree relatives of HBV-infected patients should also be screened for hepatitis B, according to the NCBI website.
According to Healthline, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that all pregnant women be screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV) at their first prenatal visit.
Hepatitis B Transmission Process
Reported from the NCBI page, Transmission Process The mode of transmission from mother to child of hepatitis B can occur in the womb (ante-partum stage), during labor and delivery (intrapartum stage) and in the postpartum stage.
Transmission in the womb
Transmission in the womb is when HBV DNA is detected in the blood of a newborn within 24 hours after delivery or HBsAg is detected within 30 days after birth and is estimated to account for less than 2% of transmission from mother to child.
Intrapartum transmission of hepatitis B
Intrapartum transmission from mother to child is transmission that occurs during childbirth which occurs due to mixing of maternal and fetal blood during the birth process. This can occur during partial placental leakage that occurs during labor itself.
Postpartum transmission of hepatitis B
Breastfeeding is considered the main potential cause of transmitting hepatitis from mother to child because HBsAg is abundant in the breast milk of infected mothers.
All infants born to HBV-infected mothers should receive hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) and the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth.
Who Needs to Undergo HBsAg Test?
Some pregnant women who are about to give birth may have hepatitis B but not realize they have it because the virus does not always cause symptoms. For this reason, doctors usually test for hepatitis B as part of routine prenatal care.
- According to the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that the following people be screened for hepatitis B infection:
- infants born to mothers with hepatitis B
- pregnant women
- people with alanine aminotransferase levels greater than 19 IU/L for women and 30 IU/L for men
- have donated blood and tissue
- people with end-stage kidney disease
- people taking immunosuppressive therapy, such as people who have received an organ transplant
- people who live with or have sex with someone with hepatitis B
- people with HIV
- people who inject drugs
- men who have sex with men
- people born in a country with a hepatitis B prevalence of more than 2 percent
people born in the United States who were not vaccinated as children and whose parents were born in an area with a hepatitis B prevalence of more than 8 percent
HBsAg Positif pada HBsAg Positive in Pregnant Women, What Does It Mean?
If HBsAg is positive in pregnant women, then the newborn baby should be given appropriate prevention immediately in the delivery room, clinic or at the bedside.
The baby will be given the first dose (also called the birth dose) of the hepatitis B vaccine, which is a single dose of Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG).
A series of vaccines will be given and all babies should receive the hepatitis B vaccine to prevent liver-related diseases.
What are the risk factors for hepatitis B in infants?
The most significant risk factor for hepatitis B in infants is being born to parents who have hepatitis B.
Another risk factor is close contact with a family member who has hepatitis B after birth. For this reason, doctors recommend that infants receive the full hepatitis B vaccine series to help prevent infection.
According to the CDC website, untreated hepatitis B in infants can lead to serious and potentially fatal health complications. Hepatitis B can cause several serious effects on the liver, including liver disease or liver cancer. An estimated 25% of infants with chronic hepatitis B infection will die from cirrhosis or liver cancer.
What to Do If Positive?
A serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus is easily prevented with a vaccine. It is most often spread through exposure to infected body fluids.
Symptoms vary and include yellowing of the eyes, abdominal pain, and cloudy urine. Some people, especially children, do not experience any symptoms. In chronic cases, liver failure, cancer, or scarring can occur.
These conditions often resolve on their own. Chronic cases require treatment and possibly a liver transplant.
Through prenatal checkups and blood tests, expectant parents can find out if they are at risk of passing hepatitis B to their baby.
If a pregnant mother is HBsAg positive, treatment and vaccines can help prevent the baby from a lifelong infection that can increase the risk of early death.
If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about how to protect yourself and your baby from hepatitis B.
That’s an explanation of HBsAg that you can know, and what to do when a pregnant woman is positive for hepatitis. Hopefully it’s useful, Mom.
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
