Perinatal Hepatitis B Program

Your liver helps fight infections and stops bleeding.  It removes drugs and other poisons from your blood.  It stores energy for when you need it.  Hepatitis B is a liver disease that causes your liver to swell and not work the way it should. The Perinatal Hepatitis B Program works with women who are pregnant or have recently had a baby and the mom tested positive for Hepatitis B.

• A public health nurse contacts the mom to offer information and support.
  
• The nurse works with the family and their doctor to make sure the baby receives treatment.  This helps reduce the chance of the child becoming infected with the virus.
  
• The nurse also works with family members and other people who have physical contact with the mother to help prevent their becoming infected.
  
• The program also educates health care people and the general public about Hepatitis B.  The more people who know about the vaccine, the less people likely to get the disease.
  
• The program can provide vaccine for babies, and blood tests and vaccine for family members if no other payment source is available.
  
• The vaccine is offered at the STD clinic ../clinics/stdclinic.php
  

PERINATAL HEPATITIS B INFORMATION FOR NURSES:

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