Q&A: Should Your Baby Get the Hepatitis B Vaccine at Birth?

Pregnancy Podcast

Vanessa Merten

Parenting, Kids & Family

4.5 • 970 Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

One of the first decisions you will make as a new parent is whether to vaccinate your newborn against hepatitis B. The first dose of this vaccine is recommended within 24 hours of birth, and most babies receive it before leaving the hospital. Hepatitis B is a serious viral infection that affects your liver. It can become chronic and, over time, lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, or cancer. Although the vaccine is effective, many parents have questions about safety, the timing of administration, and whether it is truly necessary for newborns. You have multiple options, including choosing to vaccinate, delay, or decline. This episode explores the evidence on the risks and benefits so you can make an informed decision and feel confident in your choices as a parent.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You are listening to the pregnancy podcast with Vanessa Merton.
0:10.6	Hello, thank you for tuning into the pregnancy podcast. Today's episode is all about the hepatitis B vaccine for your baby.
0:24.7	As a quick reminder, there are only three days left to take advantage of three months of pregnancy podcast premium and get a private
0:31.5	bonus call with me. You get ad-free access to every episode, the complete archive, a copy of the Your Birth Plan
0:39.7	book, and a private 30-minute call. I've had several calls over the past few days. I have some
0:47.4	coming up in the coming weeks. I've discussed pregnancy questions, things ranging from complex, high-risk scenarios to simple questions
0:57.6	about whether certain things are safe during pregnancy. I helped one listener revise her birth plan.
1:04.6	We cut it down from three pages to one page and got her very clear on exactly what she wants and how to discuss it with her doctor.
1:14.4	I really have enjoyed chatting one-on-one and working through things that are really your
1:20.5	biggest struggles right now. The goal is to help you feel more confident and prepared for your baby.
1:30.4	As a disclaimer, you know that I am not a doctor. I cannot give medical advice, but I am an expert at connecting you with evidence-based
1:37.7	resources, and I've spent over the last decade helping tens of thousands of expecting parents navigate pregnancy and birth.
1:47.5	You only have three days through October 31st, 2025 to take advantage of this offer. You get three
1:56.6	months of ad-free listening, full archive access, the Your Birth Plan book, and we get to
2:03.6	hop on a call and tackle whatever you're struggling with in your pregnancy, plan for your birth,
2:09.7	or prepare for postpartum. Check it out at Pregnancypodcast.com slash premium.
2:19.3	One of the first decisions you will make as a new parent is whether to vaccinate your
2:25.2	newborn against hepatitis B.
2:27.8	The first dose of this vaccine is recommended within 24 hours of birth, and most babies receive it before leaving the hospital.
2:38.3	Hepatitis B is a serious viral infection that affects your liver. It can become chronic,
2:44.9	and over time lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, or cancer. Although the vaccine is very effective, many parents
2:53.9	have questions about safety, the timing of administration, and whether it's truly necessary
	...

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