ABSTRACT
Hepatitis can be defi ned as infl ammation and damage to the liver – this can be caused by many factors, both infectious and non-infectious, including drug toxicity. Viral hepatitis can include other conditions such as cytomegalovirus, human immunodefi ciency virus (HIV), yellow fever and varicella zoster, but hepatotropic viruses are what is usually understood when ‘viral hepatitis’ or just ‘hepatitis’ is mentioned, and are commonly defi ned as hepatitides A through E. Other undefi ned viral hepatitis agents, oft en referred to as non-A to non-E hepatitis, have been identifi ed – in particular, hepatitis G, which has been implicated in transmission via a needlestick injury (Shibuya et al. 1998) – but at present these are not well established in medical literature. All viral hepatitis can have an adverse eff ect on the health of both the woman and the fetus or baby, and since it is known that the incidences are rising, it is necessary for the midwife to maintain an up-to-date understanding of these conditions.
