Vertical transmission of Hepatitis A

Two hospital delivered full term newborn babies were detected to have cholestatic jaundice in the first week of life. They had raised liver enzyme levels, which gradually declined over a period of one month. Both babies were anti HAV IgM positive on 6th day of life in Case 1 and on 7th day of life in Case 2 respectively. Both the mothers had jaundice 20 and 26 days before delivery and had anti HAV IgM positivity two and three weeks prior to delivery in Case 1 and 2 respectively. Hepatitis A virus is not transmitted vertically from mother to baby. However, there are 3 such case reports in literature stating vertical transmission of HAV infection. We are reporting it in two neonates for the first time in India

[1]  T. Kutlu,et al.  A case of vertical transmission of hepatitis A virus infection , 1998, Acta paediatrica.

[2]  O. Yokosuka,et al.  Frequent detection of hepatitis A viral RNA in serum during the early convalescent phase of acute hepatitis A , 1997, Hepatology.

[3]  D. Fleming,et al.  Vertical transmission of hepatitis A resulting in an outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit. , 1993, The Journal of infectious diseases.

[4]  E. Rubin.  Acute and chronic viral hepatitis. , 1979, Federation proceedings.

[5]  J. Rakela,et al.  Fecal excretion of hepatitis A virus in humans. , 1977, The Journal of infectious diseases.

[6]  J. Rakela,et al.  Studies on the maternal-infant transmission of the viruses which cause acute hepatitis. , 1981, Gastroenterology.

[7]  R. Purcell,et al.  FÆCAL SHEDDING OF HEPATITIS-A ANTIGEN , 1975, The Lancet.

[8]  S. Krugman,et al.  The natural history of infectious hepatitis. , 1962, The American journal of medicine.

[9]  H. Third.  Hæmolytic Disease of the New-Born , 1958, Nature.

[10]  M. Shima,et al.  Vertical transmission of hepatitis A virus , 1995, The Lancet.

[11]  V. Arankalle,et al.  Fecal shedding of hepatitis A virus in Indian patients with hepatitis A and in experimentally infected Rhesus monkey. , 2001, Hepatology research : the official journal of the Japan Society of Hepatology.

[12]  J. Melnick,et al.  Posttransfusion hepatitis type A. , 1983, JAMA.

[13]  S. Emerson,et al.  Transmission of Hepatitis A to Patients with Hemophilia by Factor VIII Concentrates Treated with Organic Solvent and Detergent To Inactivate Viruses , 1994, Annals of Internal Medicine.

[14]  M. Kane,et al.  Posttransfusion hepatitis A in a neonatal intensive care unit. , 1984, JAMA.