Routine hepatitis screening in adolescent pregnancies: is it cost effective?

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Public Health Screening

Background:

• Hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening is not standard in most obstetric centers.
• Prenatal care presents an opportunity for early detection and prevention of HBV transmission.
• Adolescent populations in prenatal care may have unique screening needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of routine serum screening for hepatitis B in an adolescent prenatal population.
• To compare the cost-benefit ratio of hepatitis B screening with that of routine syphilis screening.
• To provide evidence for the integration of hepatitis B screening into standard prenatal care.

Main Methods:

• A cost-benefit analysis was conducted on 585 adolescents in a prenatal population.
• Hepatitis B screening costs and positive case detection rates were compared to those of syphilis screening.
• Data on positive results and associated costs were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Eight positive hepatitis B cases were detected within the study cohort.
• The cost per positive hepatitis B case was determined to be $1755.
• Hepatitis B screening demonstrated a favorable cost-benefit ratio compared to syphilis screening in this population.

Conclusions:

• Routine hepatitis B screening is a cost-effective intervention for adolescent prenatal populations.
• The findings support the recommendation for considering hepatitis B screening as part of standard prenatal care.
• Implementing hepatitis B screening can improve public health outcomes by preventing perinatal transmission.