Dried blood spot (DBS) testing for infants born to mothers with hepatitis B

Abstract

Hepatitis B is a vaccine preventable disease that can lead to serious complications such as cirrhosis, liver failure and death. Globally, the most common route of HBV acquisition is via perinatal transmission: from mother to baby at the time of birth. Pregnant women in the UK are tested for hepatitis B infection to reduce the risk of perinatal transmission by ensuring early identification, treatment and management of any pregnant women, and their unborn babies, who test positive. If infants born to women with hepatitis B infection receive post-exposure vaccination (+/− hepatitis B immunoglobulin) within the recommended timescales, 90% of them will be protected from chronic persistent infection and serious complications such as cirrhosis, liver failure and death. However, HBV infection in infants can be asymptomatic so testing them at 1 year old is essential to detect whether they are infected and require treatment. Public Health England provide a national dried blood spot (DBS) testing service for infants born to mothers with hepatitis B infection during pregnancy. Practice nurses can play a key role in this process, helping to protect infants.