A 30-year-old pregnant woman tests positive for Hepatitis B surface antigen during her first prenatal visit. She has no symptoms. What are the implications and next steps?
A pregnant woman with Hepatitis B can potentially transmit the infection to her baby during delivery, which can lead to serious complications for the newborn. To prevent this, all infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers should receive Hepatitis B immune globulin and the first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth. The mother should also have further testing, including a Hepatitis B DNA level, to assess the need for antiviral therapy during pregnancy.