Protect Your Newborn
Protecting your newborn:
- Your baby must be given two shots in the delivery room, within the first 12 hours of life — the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine and one dose of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG).
- Make sure you tell your obstetrician and your baby’s future pediatrician before you give birth, so that your doctors will have these two shots available in the delivery room with you.
- Your baby will need additional doses of hepatitis B vaccine at one and six months of age to provide complete protection.
- The baby can be tested any time after 12 months of age to make sure they have developed immunity to the hepatitis B virus. The best time to test the baby is 3-9 months after the last dose of the vaccine.
- Make sure you regularly follow-up with your liver specialist throughout your pregnancy.
If the hepatitis B vaccine and HBIG are given correctly within the first 12 hours of life, a newborn has a 95% chance of being protected against a lifelong hepatitis B infection. This is very important – make sure you protect your child as soon as he/she is born!
Obstetrician — (ob·ste·tri·cian) – a doctor who specializes in pregnancy and childbirth. (back to text)
Pediatrician — (pe·di·a·tri·cian) – a doctor who specifically treats children. (back to text)
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