Asian Pacific association for the study of liver (APASL) guidelines: hepatitis B virus in pregnancy

Manoj Kumar, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences
Zaigham Abbas, Ziauddin Medical University
Milad Azami, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine
Maria Belopolskaya, Botkin Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital
A. K. Dokmeci, Ankara Üniversitesi
Hasmik Ghazinyan, Nork Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases
Jidong Jia, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University
Ankur Jindal, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences
Han Chu Lee, University of Ulsan College of Medicine
Wei Lei, Tsinghua University
Seng Gee Lim, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Chun Jen Liu, National Taiwan University Hospital
Qiang Li, Shandong University
Mamun Al Mahtab, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University
David H. Muljono, Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology
Madunil Anuk Niriella, University of Kelaniya
Masao Omata, Yamanashi Central Hospital
Diana A. Payawal, De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute
Shiv K. Sarin, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences
Olivier Ségéral, University of Health Sciences
Tawesak Tanwandee, Siriraj Hospital
Nirupma Trehanpati, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences
Kumar Visvanathan, University of Melbourne
Jin Mo Yang, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine
Man‑Fung ‑F Yuen, The University of Hong Kong
Yingjie Zheng, Fudan University
Y. H. Zhou, Medical School of Nanjing University

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection still remains a major public health issue in the Asia–Pacific region. Most of the burden of HBV-related disease results from infections acquired in infancy through perinatal or early childhood exposure to HBV in Asia–Pacific. Hepatitis B during pregnancy presents unique management issues for both the mother and fetus. These APASL guidelines provide a comprehensive review and recommendations based on available evidence in the literature, for the management of females with HBV infection through every stage of pregnancy and postpartum. These also address the concerns, management challenges, and required follow-up of children born to hepatitis B-positive mothers.