Some 121,390 live and still births were recorded in Leicestershire between June 1986 and May 1995. All mothers were offered antenatal screening for hepatitis B and 161 were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. Examination of case notes from 113 mother and baby pairs identified 70 infants who fulfilled criteria for vaccination in place at the time, 47 of whom (67%) had received the three doses of hepatitis B vaccine then recommended for prevention of neonatal infection.