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Published on: September 6, 2019
Should chronic hepatitis B mothers breastfeed? a meta analysis
Yingjie Zheng1, Yihan Lu, Qi Ye
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. yjzheng@shmu.edu.cn
BMC Public Health
|June 29, 2011
Summary
Breastfeeding is safe for infants born to mothers with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) if the infants are vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (HBV). This meta-analysis found no increased risk of CHB infection in breastfed infants.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is present in the breast milk of mothers with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
- The risk of HBV transmission from mother to infant is a significant public health concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the association between breastfeeding and the risk of CHB infection in infants.
- To evaluate the safety of breastfeeding for infants born to mothers with CHB, particularly when infants are vaccinated.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analytic technique was employed to synthesize data from relevant studies.
- Literature search up to 2010 identified studies on infantile CHB infection and breastfeeding post-vaccination.
- Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two independent reviewers, with results combined using a random-effects model.
Main Results:
- Data from 32 studies indicated a 4.32% CHB infection rate among infants of CHB mothers.
- The risk difference (RD) for infection between breastfed and formula-fed infants was -0.8% (95% CI: -1.6%, 0.1%).
- RD was similar for infants of mothers with high infectivity markers (HBeAg and/or HBV DNA positive) and those with negative markers.
Conclusions:
- Breast milk can be infectious for HBV.
- Breastfeeding, even by mothers with high viral load, does not demonstrate an increased risk of CHB infection in vaccinated infants.
- Infant vaccination against HBV at birth is crucial for preventing transmission.
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