Will I give HVC to my new baby?

The riskiest time for the new baby to get HCV is while it is being born.  About 4 out of every 100 infants born to HCV infected women become infected. This occurs at the time of birth, and there is no treatment that can prevent this from happening. The risk for babies born to mothers who also have HIV goes way up (to about 1-in-5 babies born to "co-infected" moms).

Most infants infected with HCV at the time of birth have no symptoms and do well during childhood. More studies are needed to find out if these children will have problems from the infection as they grow older. There are no licensed treatments or guidelines for the treatment of infants or children infected with HCV. Children with elevated ALT (liver enzyme) levels should be referred for evaluation to a specialist familiar with the management of children with HCV-related disease.

Should I breast feed if I have HCV?

There is no evidence that HVC is spread in breast milk.  HCV-positive mothers should consider not breast-feeding if their nipples are cracked or bleeding.