Prevention of Neonatal Hepatitis B Infection by High-Dose Hepatitis B Immune Globulin

Abstract

NEONATAL infection with hepatitis B is potentially a severe disease1 , 2 and may later cause a large number of adults to be chronically infected with hepatitis B surface antigen HBsAg.3 Retrospective studies indicate that severe or fatal infection in the neonate is due to transmission early in the neonatal period.1 , 2 Two families have been described in which fatal hepatitis B infection developed in successive children.2 , 4 Both mothers were chronic carriers of HBsAg. In a third family fatal neonatal hepatitis B infection developed in four of six children of a chronic carrier.5 We report here a family in which such a fatal . . .