Hepatitis C and pregnancy

Hepatitis C and pregnancy - this is one of the pressing problems of today. Unfortunately, very often a woman finds out that it is infected with hepatitis C during pregnancy. This is no accident - it was during pregnancy, all women, without exception, are carefully screened for the presence of a wide variety of infections, including hepatitis C.

Medical statistics show that approximately one in twenty pregnant women are diagnosed with the presence of hepatitis C. Of course, having learned about it, the expectant mother is upset, and sometimes scares. And the doctors, alas, do not always give the mother full information. And the question, of course, there is a very, very much - we are talking not only about the mother's health but also the health of the baby.

How does the presence of a virus on during pregnancy?

Immediately I would like to reassure expectant mothers - the presence in the body of the hepatitis C virus itself to the course of pregnancy and development of the baby does not have any negative impact. Moreover - as a rule, during pregnancy, the disease progression is stopped. For example, liver samples bounce back in the second trimester of pregnancy. Pregnancy and hepatitis C are quite compatible. But, of course, after the birth of the baby disease again begins to progress rapidly.

Moreover - it is worth noting the fact that doctors do not consider the presence of a woman in the body of hepatitis C virus to the contraindications for pregnancy and childbirth. Even if a woman knows in advance about the disease, it can be pregnant and give birth the baby. As mentioned above, the virus does not affect either the process of conception or the bearing and child birth.

Of course, you can hear a very large number of very different horror stories, but do not take them too seriously. Of course, women infected with hepatitis B will have to take certain precautions, and, perhaps, a little more likely to visit a doctor - a gynecologist, but, in general, pregnancy usually ends quite well. In any case, medicine is not known births green polka dot kids.

The threat of infection of the child

Another question that is strong enough wave of the future mothers - is what is the probability that during pregnancy and the baby is infected. In principle, such a risk does exist. However, it is not so big - it fluctuates within 3 - 10%. On average this probability is equal to five percent, which is a very low figure.

However, the probability of this still exists. Therefore, one can not talk about how the virus can be transmitted from mother to child. Basically, there are only three ways of transmission:

  • Intrapartum

This group includes all the infections that occur during the birth itself. This can happen because of falling maternal blood into the body of the baby. Fortunately, this happens very rarely. But during the course of pregnancy infections are rare.

  • Prenatal and postnatal

By this method includes all the infections that occur during breastfeeding and baby care. In principle, if the mother knows and respects the simple prevention measures, the probability of infection of the baby is also very, very small.

 Pregnancy and hepatitis C

Treatment of hepatitis C during pregnancy

The main pharmacological preparations used to treat diseases such as hepatitis C are ribavirin and interferon-α. However, numerous studies have reliably established that the impact on the child's body is very negative. And so doctors during pregnancy is very strongly recommended at the time of carrying a baby to stop treatment of hepatitis C.

However, in some cases, doctors still have to intervene and appoint the expectant mother a course of treatment. As a rule, such measures have to resort to if a future mother occur pronounced signs of cholestasis. Her state of health is deteriorating in such a case, and leave it unattended can not. Although it happens rarely - in only one case out of 20.

Most often in this case, doctors prescribe medicines that do not harm the health and development of the unborn baby. Typically, such treatment is a course of injections of drugs that are inherently contain ursodeoksiholievuyu acid. However, needless to say, in each case, the doctor selects the treatment strictly individually, taking into account all the individual characteristics of the expectant mother.

Mode of delivery for hepatitis C.

Doctors have long lead peculiar statistics of how delivery methods affect the likelihood of a baby becoming infected with hepatitis C. However, to obtain unambiguous results and failed - in principle, the possibility of infection is approximately equal to that in the natural delivery that cesarean section.

However, if a woman has a poor record of liver samples, in some cases, doctors may insist on it caesarean section. Typically, such a situation occurs in about one out of fifteen cases. In all other - doctors decide on the method of delivery, based on the general state of health.

Also, many pregnant women worry that they will have to give birth in the maternity wards of infectious. However, this is not always the case - they often give birth to all on a common basis, in the ordinary of parental homes.

Breast-feeding

Sometimes hepatitis C infected women refuse to breastfeed, mistakenly believing that by doing so they increase the risk of infection of the baby. However, this is not so - the concentration of hepatitis C virus in breast milk is so small that infect the baby a woman is unlikely.

And all those cases of hepatitis C that occur during breastfeeding, are due to the fact that the baby's body gets maternal blood. You may be surprised - how can this happen? It's very simple!

Surely, all moms know what cracked nipples. Even at low microtraumas nipples during breastfeeding in the baby's mouth gets a small amount of blood. And if the mucous crumbs will microtrauma, there is a risk of infecting the baby. And the higher the mother's viral load, the higher the risk of infection.

 hepatitis and pregnancy

The child had antibodies to the virus. What to do?

As a rule, all children born to mothers with hepatitis C, immediately after birth are examined. And, most often found in the serum of antibodies to hepatitis C. However, you should not immediately panic and despair - in almost all such cases, the antibodies get into the body of a child from the mother's body, through the bloodstream, through the placenta.

As a rule, these antibodies disappear without a trace at the end of the first year of a child's life, but in very rare cases may persist for a longer time - up to two years. However, this does not mean that parents should just simply forget about this problem - repeated analyzes need to take every three months, doctors were able to make sure that everything is in order.

Vaccination against hepatitis B and pregnancy

We are talking about hepatitis C, not to mention such a problem as hepatitis and pregnancy. Unfortunately, by this disease are not insured by any one woman. Strictly speaking, the risk of infection of the child, even in this case, is not too large, so do not panic. Although, of course, the expectant mother needs intensive medical treatment, often requires hospitalization.

Very often, the expectant mother hears the advice to do preventive vaccination against hepatitis B. However, doctors refer to this recommendation is very, very skeptical - because until the end of the effect of the antigens on the developing body of the baby. That is why they are not recommended to expose your baby to unnecessary risk.

The only case where vaccination against hepatitis B is justified - it is really a high risk of infection of a pregnant woman. For example, a woman was in the outbreak of the epidemic of the disease. Then, of course, the expectant mother is still worth to insure.

However, pay attention to the fact that if the woman did vaccinate, not knowing about her pregnancy, experience, and even more so to interrupt the pregnancy is not worth it - the risk to the child, there is virtually nothing. And during breastfeeding to be vaccinated can do without - or fear.

In any case, if the expectant mother faced with this disease, such as hepatitis, it is in any case should not self-medicate. First, and most importantly, that it should do - is to seek medical help from a doctor. The doctor will be able to assess the potential risk to the baby, and give the expectant mother the necessary recommendations.

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