Prevention, control, and management of HBV infection among pregnant women in China: from a life-cycle perspective

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health problem, causing a high disease burden worldwide.[1] As a country previously with a high burden of hepatitis, about 70 million people in China are infected with HBV now, and mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is still a predominant mode of HBV infection in China.[2] Preventing mother-to-child transmission is the key to eliminating HBV infection, and standardized management of HBV-infected pregnant women and their newborns can effectively cut off the mother-to-child transmission.[3] Neonatal hepatitis B immune globulin and hepatitis B vaccine can effectively reduce neonatal HBV infection in infants of HBV-positive pregnant women. Peripartum antiviral prophylaxis after 28 pregnant weeks is proved to be highly effective at reducing the risk of HBV (MTCT).[4] Furthermore, controlling hepatitis B infection in pregnant women not only reduces the risk of transmission within the family and vertical transmission from mother to child,[5] but also might reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.[6] Therefore, understanding the epidemiological characteristics of HBV infection in pregnant women in China and better regulating the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this population is of great significance for realizing the goal of "eliminating viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030" proposed by World Health Organization (WHO).