Population	All pregnant women
Recommendation	Screen at the first prenatal visit
Recommendation	Grade: A
Screening tests	Serologic identification of HBsAg
Screening tests	Reported sensitivity and specificity are greater than 98 percent.
Timing of screening	Order HBsAg testing at the first prenatal visit.
Timing of screening	Rescreen women with unknown HBsAg status or new or continuing risk factors at admission to hospital, birth center, or other delivery setting.
Interventions	Administer hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immune globulin to HBV-exposed infants within 12 hours of birth.
	Refer women with positive test results for counseling and medical management.
	Counseling should include information about how to prevent transmission to sex partners and household contacts.
	Reassure patients that breastfeeding is safe for infants who receive appropriate prophylaxis.
Implementation	Establish systems for timely transfer of maternal HBsAg test results to the labor and delivery and newborn medical records.
Relevant USPSTF recommendations	USPSTF recommendations on the screening of pregnant women for other infections, including asymptomatic bacteriuria, bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia, human immunodeficiency virus, and syphilis, can be found at http://www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov.