Prevention of Vertical Transmission of Hepatitis B

Results: The infant infection rate was 0.75 per 100 births from 1997 to 2010 (Poisson 95% CI, 0.48 to 1.10). Rates per 100 births were 3.37 (CI, 2.08 to 5.14) for e antigen–positive mothers and 0.04 (CI, 0.001 to 0.24) for e antigen–negative mothers. Among mothers with viral load testing, the lowest level associated with transmission was 6.32 10 IU/mL. Infection rates per 100 births were 3.61 (CI, 0.75 to 10.56) among the 83 births to mothers with viral loads of 5 10 IU/mL or greater and 0 among the 831 births to mothers with viral loads less than 5 10 IU/mL, regardless of e antigen status.