Hepatitis in Pregnancy

Depending on the virus that is causing the illness, symptoms may vary slightly, but in general, acute infections can result in fever, chills, GI upset, lethargy, malaise, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and jaundice.

Book an appointment with your gynaecologist right away if you experience any of these symptoms.

There are different modes of infection transmission according to the type of virus:

Hepatitis A (HAV) from eating or drinking something that has come into contact with the faeces of an infected person, such as through dirty hands during food preparation
Hepatitis B (HBV) transmission via blood, but less likely via sperm, vaginal discharge, saliva, and other body fluids
Hepatitis C (HCV) through blood contact
While it's uncommon to pass HAV, infected women can transmit both HBV and HCV to their unborn child before, during, or after a vaginal or caesarean delivery

HAV: Serologic testing revealed elevated anti-HAV immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels in the serum. An elevated IgG antibody level would indicate a previous infection or vaccination.
HBV: serologic testing for serum HBsAg at the first prenatal visit to rule out both acute and chronic infection. If the initial screening is negative but the patient is at high risk of infection, additional testing should be done later in pregnancy and after delivery. If the HBsAg test was positive, a quantitative HBV DNA test was performed to determine the risk of transmission and the potential need for treatment. The presence of anti-HBsAg antibody indicates that a previous infection has been resolved or that a serologic response to prior vaccination has occurred.
HCV: Anti-HCV antibody serologic testing at the first prenatal visit. If the serologic results are positive, check for HCV RNA viral load.
The US Preventive Services Task Force and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists both advocate for universal hepatitis B screening at the first prenatal appointment.

HAV: Immunoglobulins, if administered within two weeks of infection, may ameliorate the disease's clinical symptoms, although they are ineffective during the acute stage.
HBV: Depending on HBV DNA levels, antiviral monotherapy should be taken into consideration at 28–32 weeks. As an HBV DNA polymerase inhibitor, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, or TDF (Category B), is favored.
HCV: The HCV genotype, the presence of cirrhosis, and prior treatments all affect the treatment plans being explored for active HCV infection.
During pregnancy, infected women should be referred to a hepatologist to expedite postpartum therapy.