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Sharing drinks or food - transmission of Hep C

Today my son asked me if there was a chance my 2 year old grandson could contract Hep C from me by sharing food or drink.  You know how it is with little ones, whatever you have they want and we have thought little about him asking for a drink out of my waterbottle/gatorade, take a bite of his cookie, etc.  

So first I told him no, but then I remembered about bleeding gums.  I don't have that problem but I guess it can come up at any point in time.  So I just took the high road and told my son that I would be very careful about not sharing food or drink.

Evidently my daughter-in-law has been concerned about it but didn't want to ask me in case it "hurt my feelings".  I am visiting with her tomorrow and will explain to her that feelings are not a part of this and she can ask about anything that concerns her.  Anything I can do to make the people I am close to feel safe I will do.

So I know I read that it was ok share food or drink - but what if your gums were bleeding?  Comments welcome.
18 Responses
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131817 tn?1209529311
Yep, my birthday is tomorrow and I am wiped out. John wanted to go to Tahoe for it, but not sure I am up to it. Maybe in a few days...

Do you rememeber the song by Missing Persons about walking in LA? Pretty funny.
Helpful - 0
131817 tn?1209529311
Hi Elaine, Thanks for the congrats! I wish i could post his picture it is so cute! He was actually 10 lbs 9 oz. Quite a bruiser!

If you go to LA, don't walk! I walked to Bundy St and knew that was all bad since that is where Nicole Simpson was killed...that's when I turned back...LOL
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Avatar universal
Thanks everyone for your comments.  My grandson already knows he can't drink my coffee - cause it's "hot".  They learn that early on.  I don't feel uncomfortable about sharing but I want my son and daughter-in-law to feel comfortable.  BTW, they have been a wonderful support to me.  So what I fugured I would do so as not to make my grandson, Brigham, feel weird is to just bring him his own little bottle of water if I have one and keep some around the house.  He likes having his own things anyway.

SFBaygirl - Congrats on your newest addition.  Wow - I thought my son was big at 9lbs 5oz.  His head and shoulders were so big they had to use forceps to get him out.  Not something I ever want to go through again.  My daugther was 3 1/2 weeks early and weighed in at 7-14 - that was a piece of cake.

I also have a new grandaughter (the little sister).  She was not due until Thanksgiving but was born 5 1/2 weeks early on Oct 16.  Evidently she turned from head down to butt down over a 2 week period and the water broke.  My daughter-in-law was in the hospital for 4 days, she knew she would be having a C-section but at 4 days in the umbilical cord got trapped somewhere and the baby's heartbeat stopped so in came a team of docs and nurses at 1:00 am in the morning and rushed her to emergency surgery.  The baby was 5 lbs 13 oz and absolutely no health issues.  There was some debate about whether the original due date was incorrect - who knows.  Anyway, she is beautiful - I call her my "little angel".  Her name is Leilani Sky (Leilani is Hawaiian meaning heavenly flower or heavenly child).  My son and daughter-in-law spent a year on the big island backpacking and bumming around and they were married there on the beach, thus the Hawaiian name.

And yes, I agree, grandchildren are GREAT!  It is a wonderful experience.  I still have and 11 year old at home so things can get pretty wild around here as well!

Linda
Helpful - 0
131817 tn?1209529311
What a beautiful name! I have an 11 y/o at home too and she is the leader of the pack. One day I woke up to all of them with body paint all over them and the house, oh was it a mess! Don't leave those hubby's in charge! I can't wait to see my "newest" today.

I have heard that once we are UND we don't pass the virus as easily. Maybe someone will pop in and say that is not so, but i believe I heard that here.
Helpful - 0
131817 tn?1209529311
Thank you! I am heading home to see him today. LA is beautiful, but cold today. And I have learned what it means about not walking in LA!

10 1/2 lbs and early to boot. Can you imagine what that kid would look like full term? Probably have to buy clothes for a 1 y/o. lOL
Helpful - 0
140622 tn?1190098929
I've read about fear from of kind of transmission in the San Francisco Advocate Newsletter (http://www.HCVadvocate.org). The Advocate Newsletter says that you do not contract HepC from inside your stomach. Only blood to blood meaning through veins. So I guess you could drink blood and not get it theoretically?

By the way. The HCV Advocate Newsletter is the best one out there. I subscribe and have learned a LOT.

Good Luck.
Sharon
Helpful - 0
131817 tn?1209529311
That was me posting about my 10 week PCR. Doc said it was UND, now we think differently...20 week was UND and I am on 31 weeks? going for another more sensitive one this week. I posted it b/c it was so different than my second UND lab report. Anyway, same baygirl. Some call me potatoe, some call me potata...don't know any other baygirl handles around here though...

Thanks for the congrats! This isn't much of vacation, except maybe from the husband LOL. But as you can tell I am extremely pleased with the results and I don't have to continue worrying about the "C" word for while. Just getting rid of the dreaded virus.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You are going to think im totally nuts, I thought I saw you posting something about your 10 week pcr , and i said to myself thats not the bay girl I know she was way more into tx than that, of course i just skimmed through the post, then I kept seeing you post but i didnt think you were the baygirl i knew, and i kept saying to myself well i wonder where she went probly on vacation again that lucky duck, and it was you all along,oh well...CONGRATULATIONS on your new little chunky monkey, and on your liver scan.................
               Glad to be talking to the real sfbaygirl again!!!!
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131817 tn?1209529311
My daughter was 10 lbs when she was born. I was glad it was my third! She had to have a C section early because the baby was SO big she couldn't have gone another month. She really didn't want one, she wanted natural. I think she is relieved now, though! Grandkids are great, huh?!

I think of the ways I could have passed this virus on and I shutter...but freaking out when your little grandbaby grabs your water bottle, would be awful and not necessary, IMO.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Linda.  I had bleeding gums and had no idea I had Hep C. My boyfriend at that time had an upper and lower full mouth extraction.  His dentition was in awful shape from Dilantin, and he had to undergo full extraction.  Talk about a possilbe point on entry i.e. "blood to blood"  (my blood going into his blood stream).   When I was diagnosed, I was petrified I had transmitted this virus to him.  He tested negative (twice) at the VA, thank God.  My son, who was born to me when I was positive 25 years ago (didn't know I was still positive back then, either) has tested negative.  He donates blood all the time  (or when the blood mobile comes through).  I breast fed him when he was an infant  (and I remember the soreness, i.e. could have had cracked nipples - not visible, but nonetheless "could have").  Then there was the 19 years we lived in the same house.  There were SO many times I "could have" but didn't.  I also remembered the summers we used to clean 100s of pounds of shrimp at a time, and - if you've ever done that - you know that it can create cuts in the hands that can bleed.  I have flashed back on so many times I "could have"  transmitted this virus to the people closest to me,  and the only ones I know of who also have this virus that were close to me were the ones I did IV drugs with in the 70's.  Yeah.. we have it.  Their spouses don't, though, and they've been married forever.  

It's great you're taking steps to allay their fears.  It can be scary for everyone involved. I don't think you have a thing to worry about on your grandchildren and the drinking or eating after, though.  I have a grandchild, too, and another (boy) on the way :)  Oh you bet I'm happy!  

SFbaygirl! 10 1/2 pounds?! lol :) That's a big little boy! I know you are thrilled!  Congratulations!
Helpful - 0
146021 tn?1237204887
Congratulations! I am a one time grandparent myself and I can not believe how awesome it is! Ten and a half lbs is pretty darn big! My little Taylor weighed in at 4lbs 9 oz and at 3 months is not ten lbs. But she is a DOLL!
Bug
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Avatar universal
HCA
I was infected in the late '70s and dx in 2000.
I am a heterosexual male and three long term sexual partners were tested as a precaution.All results negative.
My own experience plus extensive reading on the subject of transmission makes me confident in urging you not to worry.
Helpful - 0
131817 tn?1209529311
Thank you! When I think of seven, I think, oh my the seven dwarfs. They are all under 6 y/o. Pretty damn cute too! Somedays I feel like I have 20 kids and 40 grandkids...especially after they leave the tornado behind when they go home....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You sure don't look old enough to be a Grandma of seven!


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131817 tn?1209529311
Geez, I wasn't even thinking about the new baby today! Pretty hard when we were wrapped up in Hep talk! Can you believe I now have 7 grandkids? I'm gonna have to add a few more bedrooms to the house and a new track for the little cars! Thanks for the congrats!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
How thoughtless of me not to have asked about the baby today! Wow what a bruiser! Geez, glad I didn't give birth to that one! Ouchie.Bet she's glad that's over. So has it got a name yet?

Congratulations Grandma!
Helpful - 0
131817 tn?1209529311
I have never heard of anyone getting Hep C from food or drink. It would be extremely difficult to catch even with bleeding gums, unless the blood got on the food and the food touched a sore on someone else. I share food with my grandkids, I now have 7, BTW. My daughter had a 10 1/2 lb baby boy yesterday! I just got a pix on the phone of him.

Of course take precautions, but you don't want to scare the kids etc. I have been with my husband for 12 years, my kids for over 23 years and none of them have ever gotten this from me.  When my x had hiv, we were concerned years ago, but treating someone like a leper sure wouldn't feel good to you or them. Just my 2 cents.

I plan on giving my new grandson a big sloppy kiss when I see him tomorrow!
Helpful - 0
80575 tn?1207132364
I've had similar worries about kissing my wife or shaing drinks with my kids.  

From reading all I can say is that brushing can rough up the mouth and cause bleeding...otherwise there is no reason for transmission.

As a precaution I keep my toothbrush and shaving gear in a separate area.

I don't think you should worry.  

It sounds like you have great relationships with your family.

Mike
Helpful - 0
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