Hepatitis C is a virus that targets the liver. According to the CDC, approximately 17,000 people become infected with hepatitis C every year in the United States, though only 849 were reported in 2007. Of those 17,000 people, about four percent are babies who are born to hepatitis C positive mothers. Because of their undeveloped immune system, babies are at risk of liver damage. Other groups at higher risk for hepatitis C include drug users, users of clotting factor concentrate before 1987, blood transfusion or solid organ transplant recipients before July 1992, chronic hemodialysis patients and HIV infection patients.
Transmission
Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood. While there is only a slim chance that a hepatitis C positive mother will pass the virus on to the fetus, it is possible. According to the CDC, one in every 25 children born to a hepatitis C positive mother develops hepatitis C. Newborn babies have a weaker immune system, making it difficult for them to fight off the virus. According to a report presented at the International AIDS Conference in 2004, the final diagnosis of hepatitis C can be determined by age one.
Early Symptoms
Symptoms may not always appear in babies with hepatitis C. Early symptoms of hepatitis C include loss of appetite, fever, vomiting and dark urine. These symptoms will appear within the first six months.
Later Symptoms
If hepatitis C is left untreated, it can develop into chronic hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis C appears in hepatitis C infections that last longer than six months. Unlike chronic hepatitis in adults, babies do not display symptoms. However, the virus progresses quickly, and leads to irreversible damage to the liver.
Liver Problems
Even if there are no symptoms, hepatitis C can lead to severe damage to the liver. Types of liver problems that can arise from hepatitis C include liver cancer, liver failure and scarring of the liver (cirrhosis).
Considerations
Hepatitis C can be identified through a blood test. If the mother is hepatitis C positive, doctors will advise a blood test on the newborn to determine if the virus has been passed on. According to a report presented at the International AIDS Conference in 2004, high risk children should be tested regularly, such as every three months. Hepatitis C infected women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant should talk to their doctors about the risk.
References
- CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis
- Mayo Clinic, Hepatitis C
- SY Zverev, "Mother-to-Child Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus in Babies to Co-Infected Both HIV and HCV Women," International AIDS Conference, 2004
