Babies born to a mother with Hepatitis B have a greater than 90% chance of developing chronic Hepatitis B if they are not properly treated at birth. It is very important that pregnant people know their Hepatitis B status to prevent passing the virus on to their newborn baby during delivery. If your doctor is aware that you have Hepatitis B, he or she can ensure Hepatitis B transmission to your baby is prevented by taking the right steps based on blood tests results and to plan to have the proper medications in the delivery room to prevent your baby from being infected.
Chronic Hepatitis B in Babies

Testing for Hepatitis B Whilst Pregnant
ALL pregnant people should be tested for Hepatitis B. Testing is especially important for people who fall into high-risk groups such as health care workers, people from ethnic communities or countries where Hepatitis B is common, spouses or partners living with an infected person, etc. If you are pregnant, be sure your doctor tests you for Hepatitis B before your baby is born, ideally as early as possible during the first trimester.
If you test positive for Hepatitis B infection, then your new-born must be given proper prevention immediately in the delivery room, clinic or bedside:
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First dose (called "birth dose") of the Hepatitis B vaccine
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One dose of the Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG)
90% Chance of Protection from Hepatitis B
If these two medications are given correctly, a new-born born to a person with Hepatitis B has more than a 90% chance of being protected from a Hepatitis B infection. You must make sure your baby receives the remaining shots of the vaccine series according to schedule to ensure complete protection.

Administration of Birth Dose
The Hepatitis B Foundation strongly recommends that health care professionals properly administer the birth dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine immediately in the delivery room to avoid any delays or mistakes.

Testing Positive Whilst Pregnant
If you test positive for Hepatitis B infection while pregnant, your doctor also should do a Hepatitis B viral load blood test (HBV DNA) during your pregnancy. In some cases, the laboratory test results may show a very high viral load. In these cases, your health care provider may recommend that you take an oral antiviral drug in your third trimester to reduce the risk of infecting your new-born at birth. If the Hepatitis B viral load test is not available, WHO recommends that pregnant women are tested for the Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg), and if positive, an antiviral is recommended during the last trimester. Regardless of viral load levels or HBeAg status, the Hepatitis B vaccine birth dose and completion of the vaccine series is essential to protect your infant from infection with the Hepatitis B virus.