An Editorial published in BMCMedicine sheds light on managing viral hepatitis during pregnancy, stressing the significant importance of early testing, timely treatment, and vaccination in safeguarding the health of both mother and newborn.
“We are not waiting”—Under this central theme, we marked the annual Hepatitis Awareness Day on July 28th. It is crucial to emphasize this statement for the vulnerable populations affected: expectant mothers and newborn babies. They cannot afford to wait for hepatitis screening, treatment, and newborn vaccination. These individuals face unique risks of vertical transmission of the virus, which is often overlooked but is a critical issue concerning hepatitis infection during pregnancy.
Hepatitis viruses can cause acute infections during pregnancy, but HAV and HEV have the most severe complications and are common in low- and middle-income countries due to contaminated drinking water. HAV infection can lead to preterm labor, while HEV infection acquired in the second or third trimester carries substantial risks of morbidity and mortality.
Chronic viral infections are linked to pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes for HBV infection and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy for HCV infection and pose a significant risk of vertical transmission. Preventing transmission presents a substantial challenge. Globally, chronic HBV infection is of utmost concern due to the high number of HBsAg-positive women of childbearing age and the substantial risk of vertical transmission in the absence of prevention strategies.
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