Frequency of Children Diagnosed with Perinatal Hepatitis C, United States, 2018-2020

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Public Health Surveillance

Background:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy or birth.
• Perinatal hepatitis C poses a significant health risk to children, necessitating timely diagnosis and care.
• Effective surveillance is crucial for understanding the burden of perinatal hepatitis C.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the extent of hepatitis C testing among children diagnosed with perinatal hepatitis C exposure.
• To assess the reporting rates of perinatal hepatitis C cases to public health authorities.
• To identify gaps in the surveillance and management of perinatal hepatitis C in the United States.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of data from 7 US jurisdictions.
• Inclusion of children diagnosed with perinatal hepatitis C exposure between 2018 and 2020.
• Calculation of testing frequency and comparison with expected transmission rates.

Main Results:

• Hepatitis C testing was performed on only 47 (2%) of 2,266 children with perinatal hepatitis C exposure.
• The observed testing rate is significantly lower than the expected perinatal transmission frequency of 5.8%.
• This suggests that only about one-third of potential perinatal hepatitis C cases were reported.

Conclusions:

• Current hepatitis C testing rates for exposed children are inadequate.
• There is substantial underreporting of perinatal hepatitis C cases to public health agencies.
• Improved surveillance and testing strategies are needed to accurately identify and manage children with perinatal hepatitis C.