Neonatal infections - Infection with hepatitis C

The rate of vertical transmission of hepatitis C infection from mother to child is low, about 10% (range 0-25%).
This HCV-RNA from the mother at birth is the most important factorassociated with vertical transmission. Transmission rate from mother to child is bigger with an average of 5-36% if the mother is also HIV positive.
Transmission through breastmilk is unknown

Clinical manifestations:
Hepatitis C infection is largely asymptomatic in 25% of casesjaundice and fulminant hepatitis is rare. Much of infants developchronic infection with the virus C, 1-4% of infected patients at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma.

diagnosis:

Serological tests for diagnosis to detect the issue of anti-hepatitisC (anti-HCV Ac), but do not allow differentiation between acute and chronic infection.
EIA-3 test imunoenzimatc used in screening and has a sensitivity of 97%.
The most useful test is the test by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR: RT-PCR

treatment:

In hepatitis C infection is not recommended for routine screeningof all pregnant women for type C virus infection, testing should be done only in women at high risk.
Also not recommended prophylaxis with immunoglobulin tonewborns of infected mothers. Because the transplacentalpassage of anti HCV antibodies may persist IGC several monthsis recommended that babies not be tested for virus C antibodies ina year.
Infants and children infected with the virus found C requires regular monitoring because of the risk of severe liver disease.