Hepatitis C and pregnancy. Pros and cons

Viral hepatitis C causes violent emotions in the population, however, they are even more powerful when the future baby is at risk of infection. Meanwhile, hepatitis C and pregnancy concepts are completely compatible, because the risk of infection from sick mothers is only 5% of infants. This risk will be significantly higher if in addition to hepatitis C, the mother is still sick with AIDS or hepatitis B. Particular attention should be paid to the way in which a woman has hepatitis C and pregnancy, in most cases complications do not occur with this disease. However, sometimes these patients may have cholestasis (increased alkaline phosphatase activity, skin itching) or develop gestosis. Management of a pregnant woman infected with hepatitis C is performed by an obstetrician-gynecologist and infectious disease doctor. It includes careful monitoring of fetal development and the state of the mother's health for the timely identification of possible hypoxia of the fetus or the threat of termination of pregnancy.

Hepatitis C and pregnancy. Arguments against".

Doctors categorically do not recommend keeping a pregnancy if the mother at this time is taking antiviral therapy. Some of the drugs that are used to treat infected women and men can cause congenital defects in the fetus, premature birth and other pathologies of pregnant women. Thus, experts recommend that partners undergoing treatment for viral hepatitis use at least two contraceptives. When breastfeeding antiviral treatment is also not recommended breastfeeding. At cracks and bleedings from the nipples it is recommended to stop feeding the baby until the breast completely heals.

Hepatitis C and pregnancy. Arguments for".

In the event that a woman is pregnant, but does not undergo treatment, then she has no contraindications to the bearing of the child, but she is obliged to warn the doctor about her illness. Some experts believe that it is possible to reduce the risk of fetal disease with caesarean section, however, there is no direct evidence on this score. Sometimes infants from infected mothers can be born with antibodies to hepatitis C, however, by the age of 18 months, these antibodies can disappear, therefore it is pointless to conduct specific tests for children up to a year and a half. The pregnancy does not affect the development of hepatitis C, however, if the mother develops cirrhosis, the results of biochemical tests during pregnancy may not be very good.

Treatment or pregnancy?

Many young women, who are carriers of viral hepatitis C, often ask the question: "Can I get pregnant, and then carry out antiviral treatment?". Unfortunately, it is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. The percentage of successful treatment in women is slightly higher than that of men, about 50%, in young women the treatment process is much easier and more successful. Nevertheless, the duration of the course of antiviral therapy for hepatitis C is almost 12 months, plus 6 months after this conception is not recommended. That is why pregnancy and hepatitis C are not mutually exclusive factors. Many women do not want to wait that long and are going to undergo antiviral therapy after the baby is born. However, this treatment will have to be postponed until the child grows up, since modern antiviral drugs have many side effects, in particular, such as depression and severe fatigue.

Most tests show that hepatitis C during pregnancy does not pose a particular threat either to the health of the mother or to the health of the baby's future. That is why it is the future mother who must take responsibility for the birth of the child after consulting the attending physician. After evaluating all the risks, a woman must decide for herself whether to devote her life to her disease or give this world a small miracle called New Life.