The perinatal infectious diseases team ensure that appropriate advice and treatments are offered to mother or baby to ensure the best possible start to life.
Clinic hours
Tuesday9.00am - 12.00pm
Introduction
Some infections have an important impact on the health of the baby, both before and after birth. These include maternal infections such as hepatitis B virus and HIV, or infections that might be acquired during pregnancy, such as chicken pox. The Perinatal Infectious Diseases team ensure that appropriate advice and treatments are offered to mother or baby to ensure the best possible start to life.
Many infections have an important impact on the health of the baby, both before and after birth. These include chronic maternal infections such as hepatitis B, HIV or syphilis, or new infections acquired during pregnancy, such as cytomegalovirus, Zika virus or varicella zoster virus (the chicken pox virus).
In pregnancies at risk of fetal infection, accurate antenatal counselling, specialist fetal assessment, targeted laboratory testing and close supervision of maternal medications are vital.
Major research discoveries in antivirals have now been translated into the clinical care of pregnant women with great benefits, including antenatal antiviral therapy to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV and hepatitis B infection.
"Over the past few years we have successfully implemented antiviral therapy for women at high risk of passing hepatitis B to their baby during birth" said Associate Professor Lisa Hui. "I think our attention to the specific needs and concerns of these women through our dedicated Infectious Diseases clinic is responsible for our high success rate."
Our service
This clinic provides a multidisciplinary team to provide advice on infection risk, pregnancy outcomes, advice on laboratory testing, monitoring of fetal health and growth, diagnostic amniocentesis, and management of anti-infective medications for women who are at risk of perinatal infection. We also provide paediatric consultation to ensure that infants receive appropriate care and follow up after birth and as they leave hospital.
We accept referrals for women with suspected or confirmed maternal primary infection during pregnancy with a potential teratogen (eg cytomegalovirus, varicella zoster virus, parvovirus, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, rubella, Zika virus); women with chronic HBV infection and high viral load (HBV DNA > 200,000 IU/ml), and HIV positive women.
Pregnant women with hepatitis C infection (who are not currently under another specialist clinic) may be referred for counselling and early assessment for postpartum direct-acting antiviral therapies in partnership with the Austin Health Liver Clinic.
