Hepatitis B is the most common type of hepatitis in South Korea, with an estimated 3% to 4% of the total population being infected.Among them, the significance of hepatitis B virus infection in pregnant women is particularly high due to the risk of perinatal vertical transmission, which accounts for the vast majority of current hepatitis B cases in South Korea.This review aims to explore the latest guidelines on the management of hepatitis B in pregnant women.Specifically, it will address how screening for hepatitis B should be conducted during pregnancy, how to treat pregnant women infected with hepatitis B, what preventive measures should be taken to reduce the risk of Mother-to-Child transmission, the latest findings regarding the invasive obstetric procedures during pregnancy, and breastfeeding in mothers with hepatitis B during pregnancy.

Pulmonary hypertension is more common in preterm infants compared to term infants, and the incidence increases as gestational age decreases.In preterm infants, pulmonary hypertension is a risk factor that increases mortality.Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is an approved treatment for pulmonary hypertension in preterm infants in Korea.Since January 2021, iNO has been used for hypoxic respira tory failure associated with early acute persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) in preterm infants.Although studies suggest that iNO improves oxygenation and reduces mortality in preterm infants with pulmonary hypertension, there are concerns about its effectiveness and potential adverse effects.In addition, there are several challenges in administering iNO therapy to pre term infants in Korea that need to be addressed.The current therapeutic indications in Korea allow iNO therapy to be administered only if treatment is started within 14 days of life, so it cannot be used for late pulmonary hypertension.Additionally, iNO therapy requires meeting the criteria for hypoxic respiratory failure, which includes calculating the oxygenation index (OI) using PaO 2 values obtained from arterial blood gas analysis (ABGA).To evaluate treatment response, PaO 2 values from ABGA are also necessary.However, invasive arterial blood sampling is a particularly challenging procedure in preterm infants.Therefore, alternative criteria beyond OI are needed.Furthermore, echocardiographic findings are essential to determine the therapeutic indication for PPHN in iNO therapy.However, not all neonatal intensive care units have consistent access to echocardiography.These issues must be addressed and resolved through further research and evidence.

Objective: Neonatal dysphagia is a frequent barrier to discharge in preterm and medically complex infants.This study sought to identify independent predictors of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) length of stay (LOS), with particular focus on the timing of dysphagia rehabilitation therapy as a potentially modifiable factor.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 339 preterm infants (<37 weeks gestation) who received dysphagia rehabilitation therapy in a tertiary-level NICU at our institution between January 2015 and December 2024.Infants with major congenital anomalies, in-hospital mortality, or inter-hospital transfers were excluded.Variables significant in univariate analyses were entered into a multivariate linear regression model to determine independent associations with LOS. Results:The cohort had a mean gestational age of 33.42.7 weeks and mean birthweight of 1,938 614 g.Dysphagia therapy began at a median postnatal age of 13 days (interquartile range, 5.5-21.0).Mean NICU LOS was 28.825.1 days.In the multivariate model, four factors independently predicted longer LOS: later initiation of therapy (=0.39;95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.54;P<0.001), lower birthweight (=-0.02,P<0.001), respiratory distress syndrome (=6.99,P=0.001), and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (=30.12,P<0.001).Each additional week of delay in therapy initiation was associated with approximately 2.7 more hospitalization days.Conclusion: While birthweight and pulmonary morbidities are largely nonmodifiable, earlier initiation of dysphagia rehabilitation-once the infant is medically stable-emerges as a practical intervention that may shorten NICU LOS and improve bed utilization.