Hepatitis C in injecting drug‐using women during and after pregnancy

Abstract

Pregnancy does not adversely affect the course of hepatitis C. A modest rebound in ALT levels, but not HCV-RNA, occurs after delivery in some viraemic women. This supports the theory that immune mechanisms rather than direct viral cytopathology are involved in hepatocyte injury during HCV infection. Hepatitis C infection did not influence pregnancy complications and outcomes.

Pregnancy complications associated with hepatitis C: data from a 2003-2005 Washington state birth cohort

“…30-32 In one study, viremia in HCV seropositive mothers was associated with PROM. 33 In this study, we also report evidence for a possible association between maternal HCV infection and PROM.…”

Burden of HCV infection among pregnant women with assessment of risk factors and pregnancy outcome in HCV infected: A hospital based study from Uttarakhand

“…In one study, viraemia in anti-HCV positive mother was associated with Premature Rupture of Membranes. (33) In present study 11.29% of anti-HCV positive women had pregnancy induced hypertension and antepartum haemorrhage. Our findings are consistent with the findings of Goyal L.D.et al (14) Latt et al also found higher rate of pregnancy induced hypertension among HCV RNA positive women.…”

“…Our findings are consistent with the findings of Goyal L.D.et al (14) Latt et al also found higher rate of pregnancy induced hypertension among HCV RNA positive women. (33) .In a study Reddick et al found no association between HCV infection and preeclampsia, but the same study showed that individuals with Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C coinfection had increased risk for Antepartum haemorrhage. (30) The present study reports intra uterine fetal deathin 11% anti-HCV positive women.…”

Poor Response to Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin in Older Women Infected with Hepatitis C Virus of Genotype 1b in High Viral Loads

“…Chronic hepatitis C is mild in menstruating women [34]; its activity is suppressed during pregnancy and enhanced after delivery [35]. The velocity of fibrosis progression is extremely low in young women exposed to HCV through mass-administration of immunoglobulin-D. Only two of 184 (1.2%) and four of 1,018 (0.4%) developed cirrhosis over 24 years and 20 years, respectively, in Irish and German studies [36,37].…”