Q: I am hepatitis B positive but my bilirubin is in normal limits. I do not have any symptoms of hepatitis B currently. In the past, I had undergone normal delivery and did not have any blood transfusion, and I was hepatitis B negative as per report before delivery. Now I am having a child 5 months old. He is hepatitis B negative currently. He was given 1st dose of hepatitis B vaccine after diagnosis of hepatitis-B in me and immediately our paediatrician gave Hepabig - 100 i.u (0.5 ml) to my child (weighing 8 kgs). My husband and parents are also hepatitis B negative. My husband has taken all the 3 doses of hepatitis-B but my parents will take the first dose today. Could you please answer the following questions: 1. Do I need to stop breast feeding? If yes, could you suggest any herbal medicine to stop lactation without any side-effects? Will there be any possibility of occurrence of breast-cancer with sudden stopping of lactation? 2. Could you suggest any herbal medicine for hepatitis-B considering my normal bilrubin level and my current normal health condition? 3. Could you suggest the dietary management keeping in mind both hepatitis-B and stopping lactation?

A:It would be useful to reconfirm if you indeed are Hepatitis B positive since your earlier report was negative. If indeed it is positive, then people like you who do not have the symptoms of disease but have viral markers are known as carriers. The specific response to your questions: 1. There is no need for you to stop breast feeding. However, your child must receive the full course of vaccination for hepatitis B. 2. I have no knowledge of herbal medicines. It would be best if you get yourself examined by a gastroenterologist regarding the future treatment in your case. 3. You have no dietary restrictions at the moment.