ACUTE HEPATITIS B IN INFANTS BORN TO HBsAg ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIER MOTHERS

Abstract

Within an 8-mo. period, 5 cases of acute hepatitis B were observed in children born to asymptomatic HBsAg [hepatitis B surface antigen] carrier mothers. At delivery, 4 mothers wer HBeAG[hepatitis B e antigen]-positive and 1 was anti-HBe[antibody to HBeAg]-positive. At an average age of 17 .+-. 3 wk, the infants showed high transaminase levels and appearance of markers of HBV [hepatitis B virus] infection. Three children became HBsAg chronic carriers, 1 had a brief HBsAg-antigenemia (1 wk), while the last 1 showed clinical and biochemical signs of hepatitis B in the absence of detectable HBsAg but with anti-HBc [antibody to hepatitis B core antigen] and anti-HBe (window phase) and later became anti-HBs[antibody to HBsAg]-positive.