Should chronic hepatitis B mothers breastfeed? a meta analysis
2011

Breastfeeding and Chronic Hepatitis B: A Meta-Analysis

Sample size: 5650 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Zheng Yingjie, Lu Yihan, Ye Qi, Xia Yugang, Zhou Yueqin, Yao Qingqing, Wei Shan

Primary Institution: Fudan University

Hypothesis

Does breastfeeding by chronic hepatitis B mothers increase the risk of CHB infection in vaccinated infants?

Conclusion

Breastfeeding by mothers with chronic hepatitis B does not significantly increase the risk of CHB infection in vaccinated infants.

Supporting Evidence

  • 4.32% of infants born to CHB mothers develop CHB infection.
  • The risk difference for breastfeeding versus formula feeding was -0.8%.
  • Breastfeeding is not associated with additional risk of CHB infection in vaccinated infants.
  • 32 studies were included in the meta-analysis.
  • 42.0% of mothers were designated with high infectivity.

Takeaway

Moms with chronic hepatitis B can breastfeed their babies without worrying about spreading the virus, especially if the babies have been vaccinated.

Methodology

A meta-analysis of 32 studies examining the association between breastfeeding and CHB infection risk in infants vaccinated against HBV.

Potential Biases

Differential loss to follow-up and unknown confounders may introduce bias.

Limitations

Potential biases in follow-up studies and variations in studied populations may affect results.

Participant Demographics

Infants born to chronic hepatitis B mothers, with a mix of high and low infectivity markers.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.789

Confidence Interval

-1.6%, 0.1%

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2458-11-502

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