Transmission of Anti-HCV from mother to infant and its natural course

ABSTRACT

Background: Anti HCV is transferred from positive mother to her newborn. To prevent this transfer of anti HCV, many health care providers stop the mother from breast feeding and recommend the checking of the newborn for anti HCV. If found positive, they take it as a chronic infection and recommend treatment of the child as soon as possible. Prohibition from breast feeding not only pushes these neonates towards nutritional deficiencies but also make them prone to infections. The testing also stigmatizes the mother and her newborn for life. The literature proves that this antibody transfer is passive and clears in majority of cases without any residual disease. Mother to infant transfer of anti-HCV and its natural course in Pakistani population is not known