In order to determine the prevalence of healthy hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier mothers and transmission to their infants, HBsAg and anti-HBs were studied in sera from 522 mothers and cord sera from 532 newborn infants who were delivered at Seoul Adventist Hospital and Korea University Hospital during the period of August 1979 to April 1980.
The results obtained were as follows:
1. The majority were in age group of 25-29 years, 293 cases (56.1%). Of 532 newborns, 270 cases (50.8%) were male and 262 cases (49.2%) female. The gestational age were distributed from 29 weeks to 44 weeks. The majority were gestational age of 39 to 40 weeks, 249 cases (46.8%) with 31 cases (5.9%) of premature infants. The most of the infants, 224 cases (42.10) weighed from 3,OO1gm to 3,500gm at birth and low-birthweight was 36 cases (6.8%).
2. Hepatitis B surface antigen was detected in the sera of 16 mothers (3.1%) but 1 case (0.2%) in the cord sera.
3. Infants born to HBsAg positive mother showed 1 in 16 prematurity (6.20), 1 in 16 low-birth-weight (6.2%) and no different rate was shown compared with total subject.
4. During the six months of follow-up study of serological and biochemical evidence of type B hepatitis in 16 infants born to HBsAg carrier mothers, two infants became HBsA; Fositive at 3 months of age but subsequently was not detected. Two others had no detectable HBsAg but developed antibody to HBsAg at 6 months of age.
None of the infants had clinical or biochemical evidence of hepatitis and none become chronic HBs Ag carrier state throughout the follow-upf_study.
5. These data indicate that study of HBsAg in cord sera was not reliable for detection of infected infant and blood should be tested at 6 months and 12 months for the continued surveillance of the infants born to HBsAg positive mothers.
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