Hepatitis B in Children: What Every Parent Should Know
What Parents Need to Know About Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B isn’t something most parents think about, but it’s more common than you might expect. Many people who have it don’t feel sick and don’t know they’re infected.
The virus can quietly spread from parent to child during birth or early childhood, and once a child is infected, it can stay with them for life. Read more to learn about how hepatitis B spreads, what symptoms to watch for, and why testing and vaccination are so important.
What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. Chronic hepatitis B can develop into long-term health problems such as cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer, and liver failure.
If you have ever had hepatitis B, the virus may become active again, or reactivated, later in life. This could start to damage the liver and cause symptoms.
Transmission of Hepatitis B
The most common way hepatitis B is passed is from mother to baby during birth. Because the virus spreads through body fluids, any contact with infected blood or fluids can put someone at risk.
For children, this can happen:
- During delivery from mother to child
- Through contaminated blood or medical products
- Through close household contact, like touching an open cut or sharing items that have blood on them
This means that children can get hepatitis B at home, even from siblings or family members who don’t know they are infected.
Symptoms of Hepatitis B in Children
Many children with hepatitis B do not show symptoms at first. This makes it hard for parents to know if their child is infected.
When symptoms do appear, they may include:
- Tiredness or weakness
- Stomach pain
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
- Loss of appetite
But the biggest danger is not short-term sickness. 95% of children who get hepatitis B develop a lifelong infection which can cause serious health problems as they grow older, including liver disease and liver cancer 1.
Hepatitis B Testing & Prevention
Parents may not know their hepatitis B status and can acquire the infection at any point in their lives.
That’s why it is recommended to test for hepatitis B during each pregnancy. Even if you feel healthy and have no symptoms, the virus can still be passed to your baby during delivery.
Testing is a good step and is a simple blood draw. However, testing alone cannot protect children from the virus. Only vaccination can give strong, lasting protection from hepatitis B.
Why Vaccination Matters
Doctors recommend that every baby get the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. This is because chronic infection is very common in infants infected before the age of 5 years 1. The vaccine is safe, effective, and has been used around the world for decades. It offers nearly 100% protection against the virus.
Protecting Families with HNL Lab Medicine
At HNL Lab Medicine, we know parents want the best for their children. That’s why we provide trusted testing and information about hepatitis B. We work with your healthcare provider to help keep your family safe and pride ourselves in resulting 99% of our tests within 24 hours.
Testing and vaccination together are the best way to stop hepatitis B. Discuss your options, including hepatitis B testing, with your healthcare provider. Remember to complete any necessary lab testing at one of our convenient Patient Service Centers.
REFERENCES
1 World Health Organization. (2025, July 23). Hepatitis B. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-b.
2 National Library of Medicine. (2023, October 25). Hepatitis B. National Institutes of Health. https://medlineplus.gov/hepatitisb.html.