[Current views on the subject of vertical transmission and prevention of hepatitis B]

After stressing the different incidence of hepatitis B in the various geographic areas, with notable differences even from one region to another in Italy, and after paying particular attention to the problem of the vertical transmission of the virus from mother to child, stress is laid on the importance of active and passive immunoprophylaxis in newborns of HBsAg positive mothers for the purpose of both preventing possible severe complications in these subjects at risk and of eliminating an important link in the chain of HBV diffusion. Finally a vaccination protocol using a low number of doses compared to that generally recommended without protection being compromised, as evidenced by the personal series of 75 newborns of HBsAg positive mothers and 67 children living with HBsAg positive subjects is outlined. Of the 75 newborns, 21 were vaccinated with four doses of 5 mcg of Hevac Pasteur vaccine and 54 with three doses only; of the latter, only 42 completed the vaccination cycle, with an amply protective antibody response as in the previous group of 21 newborns. The same low protocol of three doses of vaccine was applied to the 67 children living with HBsAg positive subjects and fo the 49 children who completed the cycle only 3 did not present seroconversion.