title: Hepatitis C infection in childhood.
abstract: Hepatitis C infection in children has a different course than in adults, with higher rates of spontaneous clearance. Prenatal (vertical) transmission is the most common route of transmission in childhood. Only a high maternal viral load and HIV co-infection have been proven to increase the risk of infection in the offspring. There is thus no evidence to recommend abstinence from breastfeeding, or elective C-section to prevent transmission. Standard interferon, pegylated interferon and ribavirin are the only approved therapies in children. Severe liver disease is extremely rare in childhood, and described mainly in patients contaminated through blood transfusion.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul Memorial Hospital, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department, Istanbul, Turkey. odsuoglu@istanbul.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Durmaz
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000635:transmission; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008403:Mass Screening; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a