[Prevalence of HCV infection in infants - own clinical experience].
Hepatitis type C (HCV) infection is one of the most serious health problems in the child population. Due to the clinical course of infection the diagnosis is often incidentally diagnosed in infants. Prevalence of HCV infection in the infant population is not well reported.


OBJECTIVE
of the study was to estimate the prevalence of HCV infection in infants.


METHODS
retrospective analysis of medical records of 278 infants (138 girls and 140 boys) aged from 3 weeks to 12 months (medium age 7.6 months) hospitalized in our department between 2002 and 2005, was performed. Serum anti-HCV antibodies using the third generation ELISA test (ARCHITEKT Anti-HCV) were examined in all of the children. The majority of children (54%) have been hospitalized at least one time. 85 infants (30.6%) have been hospitalized once and 128 infants (46%) haven not been previously hospitalized.


RESULTS
among 278 children we found HCV antibodies only in one 6-months old infant, who was previously hospitalized twice. After 6 weeks a control study was done and no anti-HCV antibodies were detected.


CONCLUSIONS
1. In spite of a continuously increasing number of HCV infections in general population in Poland during the last few years, infection among infants is rather rare. 2. Epidemiological studies of prevalence of HCV infection in infants should be carried out.
Swincow
Grazyna
G
Katedra i Klinika Pediatrii, Alergologii i Gastroenterologii, Collegium Medicum, ul. M. Skolodowskiej - Curie 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Nowak
Aleksandra
A
Czarnecki
Rafał
R
Czerwionka-Szaflarska
Mieczyslawa
M
D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies