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Mother-to-Child HCV Transmission

Women with chronic hepatitis C may transmit HCV to their babies during pregnancy or delivery. This is uncommon overall – occurring at a rate of about 5% – but is more likely when the mother is HIV positive. As reported in the December 1, 2008 Journal of Infectious Diseases, K. Dowd and colleagues studied 63 HIV/HCV coinfected pregnant women to assess whether lower levels of HCV-specific neutralizing antibodies are associated with an increased risk of mother-to-child HCV transmission. Sixteen women (25%) transmitted HCV to their infants. There was no significant difference between transmitting and non-transmitting mothers in terms of the ability of maternal plasma to neutralize HCV (median neutralizing antibody titers of 1:125 vs. 1:100, respectively). "In the setting of HIV/HCV coinfection, we found no evidence that HCV neutralizing antibodies are associated with the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HCV," the researchers concluded.