Perinatal hep C
What is Perinatal Hepatitis C?
Perinatal hepatitis C is the transmission of hepatitis C during pregnancy or delivery of a pregnant woman to their infant. The rate of infection for perinatal hepatitis C is approximately 5%. This rate can be higher for women also infected with uncontrolled HIV and women with a high amount of hepatitis C in an RNA test result.
Who should get tested?
Some key takeaways from screening recommendations for this population include:
- Universal screening is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for those 18 years and older, as well as once during each pregnancy for pregnant women.
- Perinatally exposed infants and children should also be screened. Please review the updated testing recommendations for perinatally exposed infants and children published in November 2023.
Who should get treated?
Hepatitis C is curable! This involves safe and effective treatments, and 95% of people can expect to be cured within 8 to 12 weeks. For children, those three years and older have been approved for treatment using direct-acting antivirals (DAA). More information on treatment recommendations is available on the HCV Guidelines: HCV in Children webpage and Treatment of Hepatitis C webpage.
Resources
Perinatal Hepatitis C Treatment and Referral Resources
Health Care Provider Infosheet
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