Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Published on: June 26, 2014
CDC's New Hepatitis C Virus Testing Recommendations for Perinatally Exposed Infants and Children: A Step Towards
Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos1, Kathryn Miele2, Emily J Cartwright1
1Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Insights
New 2023 CDC guidelines recommend testing infants for hepatitis C virus (HCV) at 2-6 months using NAT for HCV RNA. This early detection improves care for children with perinatal HCV infection, advancing elimination efforts.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a leading cause of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and premature death, is increasingly prevalent during pregnancy.
- Perinatal exposure is the most common transmission route for HCV in infants and children.
- Previous testing recommendations (anti-HCV at 18 months) resulted in many children remaining undiagnosed due to loss to follow-up.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe updated U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for testing infants and children exposed perinatally to HCV.
- To highlight the shift towards earlier detection and linkage to care for perinatally acquired HCV infection.
- To emphasize how these updated recommendations support national hepatitis C elimination goals.
Main Methods:
- The report reviews the 2023 CDC guidelines for perinatal HCV testing.
- It focuses on the recommended nucleic acid test (NAT) for HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) at 2-6 months of age.
- The cost-effectiveness of this new strategy is considered in relation to previous methods.
Main Results:
- New guidelines recommend NAT for HCV RNA at 2-6 months for perinatally exposed infants.
- This strategy is more effective than the previous anti-HCV test at 18 months in identifying infected children.
- Early identification through NAT for HCV RNA facilitates timely linkage to care.
Conclusions:
- The updated CDC guidelines represent a significant advancement in identifying and managing perinatal HCV infections.
- Early infant testing improves health outcomes for children and supports the broader goal of hepatitis C elimination.
- Integrating HCV screening during pregnancy and early infant testing is crucial for comprehensive perinatal care.
Abstract:
New U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing of perinatally exposed infants and children released in 2023 recommend a nucleic acid test (NAT) for detection of HCV ribonucleic acid (i.e., NAT for HCV RNA) at 2-6 months of age to facilitate early identification and linkage to care for children with perinatally acquired HCV infection. Untreated hepatitis C can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and premature death and is caused by HCV, a blood-borne virus transmitted most often among adults through injection drug use in the United States. Perinatal exposure from a birth parent with HCV infection is the most frequent mode of HCV transmission among infants and children. New HCV infections have been increasing since 2010, with the highest rates of infection among people aged 20-39 years, leading to an increasing prevalence of HCV infection during pregnancy. In 2020, the CDC recommended one-time HCV screening for all adults aged 18 years and older and for all pregnant persons during each pregnancy. Detecting HCV infection during pregnancy is key for the identification of pregnant persons, linkage to care for postpartum treatment, and identification of infants with perinatal exposure for HCV testing. It was previously recommended that children who were exposed to HCV during pregnancy receive an antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) test at 18 months of age; however, most children were lost to follow-up before testing occurred, leaving children with perinatal infection undiagnosed. The new strategy of testing perinatally exposed children at age 2-6 months was found to be cost-effective in increasing the identification of infants who might develop chronic hepatitis C. This report describes the current perinatal HCV testing recommendations and how they advance national hepatitis C elimination efforts by improving the health of pregnant and postpartum people and their children.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Standard Precaution
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
01:17Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
01:27Cytomegalovirus Disease
01:25Hepatitis
01:28Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction