Dear Lactneters:

I had posted a question about the recent review of breastfeeding and
hepatitis B. In the recent review written Dr Ruth A Lawrence, she said that
infants born to mothers known to be HBsAg positive should receive HBIG and
first vaccination within 12 hours after birth. Then breastfeeding can begin.
My question is that if the HBIG cannot be given in the delivery room, will
the first contact and suckling be delayed?

Thank you, Dr Gartner, Dr. Newman and other kindly friends, for your
responses. Below is the answer from Dr Ruth A. (With her permission to post
on Lactnet).

---  In the situation which you describe where you were unable to give the
HBIG immediately after birth, it has been determined by the Academy of
Pediatrics
Committee on Infectious Disease and the Center for Disease Control that
if you give the HBIG within the first day, that should be okay.  In
addition, giving the first hepatitis vaccine injection before leaving the
hospital.  This modification was made because we have situations where we do
not know the mother's hepatitis status at the time of delivery and do not
want to give the HBIG unnecessarily if she is actually negative.  Thus, this
timing was approved.  ---

Happy Holiday Season to All of You :)

Chao-Huei
Chao-Huei Chen, M.D. < [log in to unmask]>
mailing address:
160, sec 3, Chung-Kang Rd, Department of Pediatrics,
Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 407, Taiwan
Tel 886 4 3592525-5909, 5971 Fax 886 4 4619990