More than half of pregnant women with hepatitis C virus infection are seropositive for HCV RNA. It is now believed that high HCV RNA levels in pregnant women are associated with mother-to-child transmission.
RNA-positive pregnant women have a mother-to-child transmission rate of 4.3%. Breastfeeding during a postpartum hepatitis episode may increase the risk of hepatitis C virus transmission to the infant. Regarding the prognosis of infants with mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis C, studies have shown that 3/4 of children with mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis C are cleared of HCV RNA by age 2 years.
If they remain positive, they are usually considered to progress to chronic hepatitis C. It is inconclusive whether children are more likely to clear chronic hepatitis C virus than adults, and whether transfusion-associated chronic hepatitis in childhood and mother-to-child transmission of chronic hepatitis C have different courses.