Active and Passive Hepatitis-B Immunization of Newborns in Neonatal Department at Phi Clinical Hospital Shtip

Aim: To present the range and results of the active immunization at newborns, as well as the passive immunization from infected mothers.
Hepatitis-B is rarely transferred through the placenta. The infection mostly happens during childbirth (except when the birth is performed with S.C.).

Material and method: The subject of this research are data from the Medical documentation and the results from implemented active immunization at the Clinical hospital in Shtip during 2017-2018. Engerix-B has been used for the active immunization process, while the passive immunization is induced by using Hepatitis-B Immunoglobulin.
The comparative analysis method and observation by age is used to present the results.

Results: The total number of deliveries in 2017 is 929, of which 8 newborns are not immunized with active immunization. The total number of deliveries in 2018 is 878, of which 5 newborns are not immunized with active immunization. The cause for delayed immunization is due to low birth weight and illness of the newborns while being admitted at the Neonatal department.
The passive immunization has been conducted at 5 newborns, whose mothers were infected with Hepatitis-B. All 5 children were delivered with natural birth, as it was not indicated to deliver the child with S.C. as a prevention of transmission of Hepatitis-B to the newborn.
Once the immunization has been applied, the children were not separated from the mothers and they were fed by breastfeeding.
The immunization, both active and passive, caused no side effects.

Conclusion: With complete immunization against Hepatitis-B (active and passive), it is expected to reduce the incidence of Hepatitis-B and to reduce the number of most frequent complications – chronical Hepatitis-B, cirrhosis and Hepatocellular carcinoma.