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Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients With Hepatitis C Virus Infection
Brenna L Hughes1, Grecio J Sandoval, George R Saade
1Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, Columbia University, New York, New York, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston-Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, Texas, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, Stanford University, Stanford, California, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas; the George Washington University Biostatistics Center, Washington, DC; and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland.
Maternal hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection increases the risk of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth weight. Pregnant individuals with HCV require careful monitoring for adverse neonatal outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Infectious Diseases
- Neonatology
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection during pregnancy poses potential risks to both maternal and infant health.
- Understanding these risks is crucial for effective prenatal care and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the association between maternal HCV infection and adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.
- To identify specific risks that require closer attention in clinical practice.
Main Methods:
- A secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study involving pregnant individuals with and without HCV infection.
- Case participants (HCV positive) were matched with control participants (HCV negative) by gestational age.
- Maternal and neonatal outcomes were assessed, with adjustments for demographic and medical factors.
Main Results:
- Maternal HCV infection was not associated with increased odds of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, abruption, or preterm birth.
- However, neonates born to mothers with HCV were significantly more likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
- There was also a nearly threefold increased odds of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth weight below the 5th percentile in neonates exposed to maternal HCV.
Conclusions:
- Maternal HCV infection is linked to increased risks of NICU admission and SGA birth weight, even without other adverse maternal outcomes.
- These findings highlight the importance of targeted neonatal surveillance for infants born to mothers with HCV.
- Further research may explore the mechanisms underlying these specific neonatal complications.
