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Hepatitis B and C viruses in infants and young children

May K Slowik1, Ravi Jhaveri

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

Seminars in Pediatric Infectious Diseases
|October 8, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric hepatitis B (HBV) incidence has decreased due to vaccination, but chronic HBV treatment shows variable results. Hepatitis C (HCV) lacks vaccines, posing risks for vertical transmission and liver disease in children, necessitating better therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology
  • Infectious diseases in children
  • Viral hepatitis research

Background:

  • Significant advancements in understanding and managing pediatric hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) over the past two decades.
  • Decreased acute HBV incidence in children attributed to universal vaccination and prenatal screening.
  • Challenges remain in treating chronic HBV and preventing/treating HCV in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on pediatric HBV and HCV prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
  • To highlight the impact of vaccination on HBV incidence.
  • To identify unmet needs in pediatric viral hepatitis management, particularly for HCV.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent literature on pediatric HBV and HCV.
  • Analysis of epidemiological data on HBV incidence trends.
  • Evaluation of current diagnostic criteria and therapeutic options for pediatric viral hepatitis.

Main Results:

  • Universal HBV vaccination and prenatal testing have drastically reduced acute HBV infections in children.
  • Chronic HBV diagnosis requires serologic confirmation at least 6 months apart; current therapies yield variable outcomes.
  • HCV diagnosis in neonates is delayed due to transient viremia; effective pediatric treatments are limited, with some potential shown for peginterferon alpha-2a and Ribavirin.

Conclusions:

  • While HBV prevention has improved, more effective and less toxic treatments for chronic pediatric HBV are needed.
  • Lack of HCV vaccines and risk of perinatal transmission pose significant challenges, necessitating research into interrupting transmission and developing pediatric-specific therapies.
  • Further research is crucial for developing improved therapies and prevention strategies for HBV and HCV in children.

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