Hello,
My husband and I are right in the end part of an adoption process for our foster daughter. She is 15 months old.
We received some papers from the court after the last hearing this month which included a court order to have her Hep C tested because her bio-mom was Hep C positive when she was born.
What are the chances of her having contracted Hep C from birth and what should we expect health wise if she is positive for the virus?
I love her and feel exactly about her as I did with my biological children but am concerned about this as I don't know too much about the virus. I have four other children and don't know what kind of precautions I need to take if any.
I have been doing some reading but it seems to be quite overwhelming. To be honest I am a little scared about all of this.
Thanks for you your help,
Please forgive me if I posted this earlier...I have FMS and sometime think I am going to do something and find I already did it or vise versa.
Blessings,
Kathy

Hello,
My husband and I are right in the end part of an adoption process for our foster daughter. She is 15 months old.
We received some papers from the court after the last hearing this month which included a court order to have her Hep C tested because her bio-mom was Hep C positive when she was born.
What are the chances of her having contracted Hep C from birth and what should we expect health wise if she is positive for the virus?
I love her and feel exactly about her as I did with my biological children but am concerned about this as I don't know too much about the virus. I have four other children and don't know what kind of precautions I need to take if any.
I have been doing some reading but it seems to be quite overwhelming. To be honest I am a little scared about all of this.
Thanks for you your help,
Please forgive me if I posted this earlier...I have FMS and sometime think I am going to do something and find I already did it or vise versa.
Blessings,
Kathy

Congratulations!!!!!!!!

Statistically about 5-10% of children born to hepatitis C positive mothers pass the virus to the children. The higher the mother's viral load, the greater the chances of the child having the virus. That is better than 90% in her favor. Pretty good odds!

At 15 months of age, the test is not going to be accurate. If she tests positive, it doesn't mean she has the virus. It may only mean she still carries her mother's antibodies. Testing by TMA technology (more than antibodies) is generally done after 2 years of age and even up to four years of age. It is possible, from all we currently know, that she will have hepatitis C for life. But, it is very very unlikely.

So, assuming she will have hepatitis C, her chances of ever being ill are quite low. Not zero, mind you, but very low. You will have to teach her to eat and care for herself much as the parent of a diabetic child would. She must be taught from an early age that alcohol will not be part of her life. And, I would suggest you model the behavior in your own life. That is, with good healthy habits for the whole family. She should not ever be exposed to smoking or to smoke herself.

In the worst case scenario she could need a liver transplant at some point. This is exceedingly rare, but it could happen. You could make her condition a part of the adoption process by insuring that any medical costs of that magnitutude would be covered, perhaps by a supported adoption if that is available in your state. Protect her and yourselves financially from any catastrophic medical costs through an insurance policy or through an agreement with the state adoption agency.

After liver transplant (which can be only a few days in the hospital these days) she will need medication to prevent rejection of the new liver, probably for the rest of her life. It can cost you. Again, the chances of this occurring are exceedingly low, but they are there.

I have counselled many adoptive parents over the last 12 years. No one deferrred the adoption. Each child has since been tested undetected and is normal in every way, meeting developmental milestones. Some had learning problems, but more likely that was due to the mother's addiction prior to birth rather than hepatitis C. The oldest is now 10 and he doing as well as any other ten year old.

The overwhelming odds are that your little girl will not be positive for hepatitis C after the age of 2 years IF she tests positive now. She is most likely carying her mother's antibodies. At the age of 2 or 3, have her tested by TMA (the newest and most senisitve technology). By then, technology will have improved even more, I suspect. You can actually have that test now, but it won't tell you what you really want to know. If she tests negative now by TMA, the chances are infintessimal that she has hepatitis C at all.

Check out the website below my name for articles on children with hepatitis C.

I hope this helps,

thanbey

Thank you for your time and effort in answering my questions it is truly appreciated.

There is nothing that would cause us to defer our adoption. We knew that these possibilities existed before we decided to adopt. She will be our second adopted child and fifth of our five. Her bio-mom is also schizophrenic possibly from drug use. We believe God is in control no matter how life appears.

I do have one other question though...since the test isn't particularly accurate at the age she is now does that mean if it is negative that she still could have HVC or does negative mean negative?

Thank you again and thanks for the website it was extremely helpful.

Blessings,
Kathy

Thank you for your time and effort in answering my questions it is truly appreciated.

There is nothing that would cause us to defer our adoption. We knew that these possibilities existed before we decided to adopt. She will be our second adopted child and fifth of our five. Her bio-mom is also schizophrenic possibly from drug use. We believe God is in control no matter how life appears.

I do have one other question though...since the test isn't particularly accurate at the age she is now does that mean if it is negative that she still could have HVC or does negative mean negative?

Thank you again and thanks for the website it was extremely helpful.

Blessings,
Kathy


Because current technology still has its limitations, there is no negative. There is only "undetectable." That means that she tests below the limits of detectability.

In the future, a newer, more sensitive test could be developed that has lower limits of detectability and may detect the virus where the current ones do not.


So, at this point in time, if she is undetectable, she has a very low virus count and may still fight the virus with her own immune system (and your prayers and your love, of course) That's as good as it gets.

If she does test undetectable, have her tested periodically anyway, just to be sure.

Congratulations again,

thanbey

Thank you for all your help.

Blessings,
Kathy

We got her test results today and they were what my Dr. called negative or "non reactive" was the other term she used.
Is that the same as " "undetectable?"
Thanks,
Kathy

We got her test results today and they were what my Dr. called negative or "non reactive" was the other term she used.
Is that the same as " "undetectable?"
Thanks,
Kathy

I don't want to speak out of turn or get your hopes up, but that sounds like she has no antibodies to me. That's the jackpot, my dear. No hepatitis C as I see it from here. No need for a more sophisticated test.

I would have her tested again in a year's time. If that is also non reactive, she doesn't have it.

Fabulous news!

thanbey

Woo Hoo !

I will have her tested again in a year but this is great news!
We are very grateful that it is looking good for our baby's health.
I am also glad I have gotten to know more about Hep C. I was very uninformed and totally unaware that it was affecting so many people.
I am praying for them to find a cure soon.

Blessings,
Kathy