Günal, Özgür Gaziosmanpaşa University - School of Medicine - Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Turkey , Barut, Hüseyin Şener

Letter to the Editor: Pregnancy and hepatitis B

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Dear editor,It is estimated that approximately 2 billion people are infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 350 million people carry the virus chronically all over the world. The main transmission ways of HBV are parenteral contact with the blood or body fluids, transmission to the newborn from the infected mother (vertical way) and contact with the infected people (horizontal way). Two important complications of chronic HBV infection are primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HSC) and liver cirrhosis . Since HBV infection in childhood causes liver cirrhosis and HSC on high rate in the future periods of life, it leads to an important public health problem. Preventing the transmission to the newborn from the mother is very important in global eradication of chronic HBV infection.

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Cumhuriyet Medical Journal

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