[Vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus in Sor-Trondelag]

The aim of this study was to investigate the vertical transmission rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a Norwegian county and describe the clinical outcome of the infected infants.

Over the 1991-2000 period, 29,433 pregnant women gave birth to 37,893 children. Women born in high endemic areas and those with a history of drug abuse were offered anti-HCV testing. All anti-HCV positive specimens were subjected to supplementary testing by RIBA and PCR.

Hepatitis C virus antibodies were detected in 61 women who delivered 83 children over this ten-year period. 61% of the women were HCV-RNA positive. The transmission rate was 5.0% (8.3% for HCV-RNA positive mothers). None of the HCV-RNA negative mothers transmitted the virus to their offspring. 95% of the anti-HCV positive mothers had a history of drug abuse; none came from high endemic areas. All mothers tested negative for HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBs antigen) during pregnancy. HCV antibodies persisted up to 18 months after birth in non-infected infants, but most of them tested negatively within one year of age. All infected infants tested negative by PCR at birth, and only one out of four had persistently elevated alanine amino-transferase.

Our data is consistent with other studies of vertical transmission of HCV. Anti-HCV screening of larger groups of pregnant women is warranted to investigate the true incidence of vertical transmission in our population.