Persistent HBsAg antigenemia in newborn infants following intrauterine HBV infection. Cause for the failure of the prevention of perinatal HBV transmission

: In areas with high carrier rates for hepatitis B the combination of hepatitis B immune globulin and hepatitis B vaccine prevent perinatal infection in 90-95% of the newborn infants. Since 1979 the failure of perinatal prevention of hepatitis B infection was observed in only two cases. Evidence of intrauterine infection is presented in these two cases.