article · Pan African Medical Journal
Hepatitis B infection remains a significant public health issue in Ghana, where chronic infection often begins at birth or during early childhood. A pilot study conducted at a hospital in Ghana's Eastern Region examined the rate of mother-to-child transmission among 51 hepatitis B positive mothers and their infants. Questionnaires and testing revealed a transmission rate of 5.9 percent, with three infants testing positive. Most infants received standard hepatitis B vaccinations, and two-thirds received the recommended birth dose. Statistical analyses showed no significant links between mother-to-child transmission and maternal age at delivery or the recorded clinical interventions. Routine maternal viral marker and viral load testing were absent in the cohort, leading to the recommendation that antenatal viral profiling be adopted to detect high-risk pregnancies.
Hepatitis B often leads to chronic disease when acquired during birth or infancy. By measuring local rates of vertical transmission and highlighting gaps such as the absence of antenatal viral load testing, this research identifies key clinical opportunities to improve maternal care, vaccination coverage, and newborn protection against lifelong viral infection in regional healthcare settings.
This applied observational study highlights a clear healthcare demand for accessible, routine viral profile and viral load diagnostics for pregnant women. The primary potential users are clinical laboratories, antenatal care providers, and public health programmes. While the research demonstrates an immediate clinical need, it evaluates existing care practices rather than a novel product, so direct commercial technology transfer is not indicated by the abstract.
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INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis B is a major health concern in Ghana, where prevalence of the virus remains high and most chronic patients are infected during childhood or at birth. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and main factors associated with mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B in the context of Ghana. METHODS: In this cross-sectional pilot study, we tested infants born to hepatitis B positive mothers at a hospital in the Eastern Region of Ghana to determine the prevalence of mother-to-child transmission. A questionnaire was completed by hepatitis B positive mothers to investigate the association between factors surrounding the birth of the child and whether transmission had occurred. These factors were analyzed independently using Fisher's exact test. To investigate the relationship between mother's age at the time of delivery and viral transmission, a univariate logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: The prevalence of mother-to-child transmission was 5.9%, with 51 hepatitis B positive mothers included in the study and three infants testing positive. A majority of infants received the standard hepatitis B vaccination schedule (96.1%) while two-thirds received the birth dose. There was no significant association observed between the clinical interventions reported in the study and mother-to-child transmission. No significant association was observed between the age of the mother at the time of delivery and viral transmission (OR: 1.077, 95% CI: 0.828 - 1.403, p = 0.58). Viral marker testing during pregnancy was absent in the population and could not be reliably assessed. CONCLUSION: There was a low prevalence of HBV mother-to-child transmission observed despite a clear absence of viral marker and viral load testing. It is recommended that viral profile analysis is performed for hepatitis B positive pregnancies to identify high risk cases.
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DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2019.33.218.17242
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