Should your baby receive Hep B vaccine at birth? A balanced perspective.
Full Transcript
Why Newborns Get Hepatitis B at Birth 0:00
Hello, it's Dr. Ott. Today, I'm going to talk to you for just a couple minutes about hepatitis B at birth for newborns. So as you probably know, all newborn's are scheduled for hepatitus B, at the time of birth. Here's why. Not because they are specifically at risk for bloodborne pathogens or diseases like hepatites B. But because it is possible that mom might have hepatite B and that can increase the risk of what we call vertical transmission or transmitting this hepatitis virus to the baby from mom.
If you have received routine prenatal care and been tested for hepatitus B and we know that you're negative, and if you are feeling like,
What If Mom Is Hepatitis B Negative? 0:44
I don't really want to do the hepatite B at birth, personally as a pediatrician, don t have a problem with that as long as you plan to get hepatitus B in childhood. Um, it is an absolutely important vaccine. If you do not know your hepatitis B status, or if you have hepatitus B, woo, is it important? All right. Our children, if they do get infected with hepatitos B have a really increased chance of going on to have liver failure, including liver transplant, If they get fulminant hep B at birth. if you know that you do have hepatitis B, this is not to alarm you.
We're going to take extra care of your baby.
Extra Protection When Mom Has Hepatitis B 1:22
Your baby's going get their hepatitus B vaccine, and they're also going gonna get hepatitus B immunoglobulin. we call it H big for short. And it gobbles up all of the, um, you, know, viruses to try to actually prevent them from entering the cells and causing a significant infection. So we've got to plan for that too. You just need to know your status beforehand so that we can plan that adequately. So if you are a parent who was like, I'd like to do a little less at the time of birth, please get that vitamin K and then skip the hepatitis B.
If you know you don't have hepatis B, okay.
Planning Ahead and Next Newborn Care Topic 1:58
That is my two cents and two minutes for this topic. I will see you for erythromycin in the eyes. Okay.
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