ABSTRACT
Infants born to women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) are at risk of vertical transmission. This risk is significantly reduced with correct post-natal treatment After initial perinatal management and neonatal treatment, these infants receive subsequent follow up HBV immunisations at two, four and six months. These infants then require post vaccination serological testing. This review was conducted to determine the number of infants born to mothers with HBV in the National Maternity Hospital who had appropriate post vaccination serological testing. There were seventy-eight HBV infections identified antenatally in the years 2010 and 2011 resulting in seventy live born infants at our institution. Thirteen (18.6%) infants had evidence of post vaccination serological testing. This is below international rates of follow up. There is an urgent need for a centralised national programme to ensure adequate follow up and management of all infants born to women with HBV in Ireland.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis B Antibodies/blood , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/blood , Hepatitis B Vaccines/administration & dosage , Hepatitis B , Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Hepatitis B/blood , Hepatitis B/epidemiology , Hepatitis B/therapy , Hepatitis B/transmission , Hospitals, Maternity/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Ireland/epidemiology , Monitoring, Immunologic/methods , Perinatal Care/methods , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/blood , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/therapy , Serologic Tests/methods , Vaccination/methodsABSTRACT
Details of telephone consultations concerning infants were recorded prospectively over a two month period in the National Maternity Hospital (NMH). There were one hundred and forty-six calls recorded. One hundred and sixteen (79.5%) calls were from mothers. The average age of the infants was twenty-eight days. Eighty (54.8%) calls were answered by Nursing Staff while the remainder were taken by Doctors. There were thirty-nine (26.7%) calls relating to the gastrointestinal system. There were twenty-seven (18.5%) calls regarding infants with respiratory concerns. The next most common problem was irritability followed by calls concerning jaundice, rashes and umbilical issues. Fifty-five (37.7%) callers were given home care advice or reassurance. Thirty-six (24.7%) were advised to attend a Paediatric Emergency Department (ED). GP visits and Baby Clinic appointments were advised for twenty-four (16.4%) and twenty-three (15.8%) infants respectively while six (4.1%) of the callers were directed to attend NMH immediately.
