CAN A WOMAN GIVE HEPATITIS C TO HER CHILD WHILE PREGNANT OR BREAST FEEDING?
It is possible that pregnant women with HCV can transmit the virus to their baby either in the womb or at childbirth. At the present time it is not known whether HCV can be spread from a mother to her baby through breast milk. However, the likelihood is thought to be very small and some liver specialists recommend that mothers if they want, breast feed their babies. Others recommend against it. HCV-positive mothers should consider refraining from breast-feeding if their nipples are cracked or bleeding. Mothers who also have the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) or HIV are at greater risk of passing HCV to their babies. Fetal monitors should not be used in deliveries of HCV positive women. A caesarian section is not recommended on the basis of HCV alone.
