The primary objective of the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services’ (NHDHHS) Perinatal Hepatitis B Program is to prevent the transmission of hepatitis B virus from an HBsAg- positive pregnant woman to her infant.

The program goals are:

• Promote HBsAg screening of all pregnant women;
• Ensure that all laboratories, hospitals and prenatal care providers are aware of the need to report HBsAg-positive test results to the NHDHHS (per RSA-141 C);
• Identify & track HBsAg-positive pregnant women, their infants & household/sexual contacts;
• Ensure that all infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers receive hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immune globulin at birth, complete the 3-dose hepatitis B vaccine series and have post-vaccination blood testing done to show that they are protected;
• Ensure that household/sex contacts of HBsAg-positive pregnant women are identified, have a blood test if their hepatitis B status is unknown, and receive hepatitis B vaccine, if needed;
• Provide educational materials to HBsAg-positive pregnant women; and
• Provide current recommendations & guidelines to prenatal & pediatric healthcare providers and hospital maternity nurse managers