Ivan Schréter, Štefan Porubčin
The course of acute hepatitis is unaffected by pregnancy, except in patients with hepatitis E and herpes simplex infections, in which maternal and fetal mortality rates are significantly increased. Hepatitis B may be often transmitted to neonates in case of ongoing virus replication in mothers. Transmission of this infection is effectively prevented with perinatal imunoprophylaxis. The risk of transmission of hepatitis C to the infant seems related to the mother‘s level of viral RNA and other factors (e.g. HIV coinfection, i.v. drug abuse). Hepatitis D virus can only be transmitted from mother to child together with hepatits B virus. Immunization against hepatitis B is protective against vertical transmission of hepatitis D. No immunoprophylaxis is currently available for neonates of mothers with hepatitis C or E.