I have a friend who is hiv+ and just found out she has hep c she is also 8 months pregnant her vl is 9 million what are the chances of her passing the hep c to the baby?

I have a friend who is hiv+ and just found out she has hep c she is also 8 months pregnant her vl is 9 million what are the chances of her passing the hep c to the baby?

Good news and bad: There is indeed a chance of transmission. A minority, in some studies only ten percent, of children in this situation do get hep c. The better news is that children tend to recover quickly and completely from the same hep c that infects adults permanently. Interesting but true--more than 95% of children infected at birth are clear of the virus by one year later.

Your friend should consult with her OB. There is the chance that she may want to resort to a c-section. While the mother certainly bleeds during this operation, it is shorter, and much more under control than a natural birth, and with any luck, the baby can be kept almost entirely away from the mom's blood.
No, I am not a c-section "advocate." My wife is trying to avoid one right now. But lowered risk of infection transmission is considered one of the possible--not yet proven--advantages of the procedure.

Her OB and she have choices. That's what counts here.


sean