Very Confused-Hep B.

[MommyB07]

I am a 22 yr old female. When I gave birth to my child 2 years ago the Dr. came storming in and said "Did you know you have Hep. B, now your baby has to have the shot before she gets it".
He then gave me a paper saying the ONLY ways I could get it were sharing needles or unprotected sex or blood transfusions unless I was a paramedic/dr. and then risked getting it from fluids.

I was told by my mother that when I was a newborn my bilirubin was 18 and I was in the NICU for phototherapy for 10 days. They said this is what CAUSED the hep. B and gave me liver meds. They told her it would never be contagious, nor would it ever cause problems.

I am so extremely confused. If they gave me meds as an infant, why is it still in my blood? Am I actually passing this on to my husband and children, and the biggest one. could I have really gotten it from the Jaundice?

[zellyf]

Many newborns develop jaundice that is completely unrelated to Hep B.  Chances are you will never know how you got Hep B but there are ways to get it other than those your doctor indicates.  Being treated for jaundice isn't, however, one of them.  Nor can jaundice itself give you Hep B.  Jaundice is a symptom of Hep B.  Hep B is viral and requires blood-to-blood contact (or body fluid-to-blood)...phototherapy wouldn't cut it as a form of transmission.

[MommyB07]

Thank you! I am going to talk with my daughter's Ped. at her next check up about it. I've asked my mother if in fact she has been lying about having Hep. B and that's how I got it but she insists it wasn't.

Just can't think of any other ways I would have contracted it at 4 days old.

[bram44]

Lot of people do not know how they got in contact with the virus.

It is possible your husband and children are not infected. To be sure everyone needs to be tested for HbsAg, HBsAb.

You may also want to get tested for viral load etc..., if in fact you are infected.