Hepatitis C Testing Among Perinatally Exposed Infants. | The Center for Child Health Policy

Lopata SM, McNeer E, Dudley JA, Wester C, Cooper WO, Carlucci JG, Espinosa CM, Dupont W, Patrick SW. Hepatitis C Testing Among Perinatally Exposed Infants. Pediatrics. 2020 Dec;145(145). PMID: 32060140 [PubMed] PMCID: PMC7049945

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence doubled among pregnant women from 2009 to 2014, reaching 3.4 per 1000 births nationwide. Infants exposed to HCV may acquire HCV by vertical transmission. National guidelines recommend that infants exposed to HCV be tested; however, it is unclear if these recommendations are being followed. Our objectives were to determine if infants exposed to HCV were tested and to determine hospital- and patient-level factors associated with differences in testing.