Hepatitis C in children

What is it?

Hepatitis C is an illness caused by a virus.

• It can last a short time or a long time.
• It causes the liver to become swollen. This can make the liver not work as well.

Sometimes, a pregnant person can give their baby this virus. It can happen before or when the baby is being born.

Many children who get hepatitis C virus from their mother will get rid of it on their own. Some children will have hepatitis that lasts a long time. This is called chronic hepatitis. If this is not treated, it may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer as an adult. Treating hepatitis during childhood can help stop this from happening.

How is it diagnosed?

Hepatitis C is found with a blood test.

What are the symptoms of Hepatitis C in children?

Newborns don’t often have symptoms. Sometimes, the liver enzyme levels in the blood are high.

How do we treat hepatitis C?

Under 3 years old:

• There is no routine treatment for hepatitis C for children less than 3 years old.
• Children this age do not often have symptoms of the disease.
• Infants and young children will follow up to see if there are any symptoms or if they were able to get rid of the infection on their own.
• Routine follow up includes:
  - Blood tests to check for the hepatitis C virus and see how well the liver is working.
  - Imaging. Most children do not need this, but your provider will talk to you if this is needed.

Over 3 years old:

•  Antiviral medicines. These medicines are not approved for children under 3 years old.
  - If it is prescribed for your child, it is important to give the medicines daily as instructed.
  - Once the medicines are done, your child will get tested again. This is to make sure the infection is gone and the liver is working well.
  - Most children who are treated get cured from their hepatitis C infection.

What else do we need to do?

• Go to all follow-up appointments. This is very important because it will help make sure your child’s hepatitis infection is not getting worse.
• Make sure your child gets the hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines. These will help protect your child from other infections that can affect the liver.

Why do we need to do this?

If hepatitis is not treated for several years it can cause scaring or liver cancer. This happens when
they are adults. Treatment during childhood can prevent this.

For more health and wellness information check out this resource:

https://kidshealth.org/ChildrensWI/en/parents/hepatitis-c.html?ref=search
https://kidshealth.org/ChildrensWi/en/parents