how long shud i wait b4 getting my son tested?

[mrssajid]

i was wondering how long shud i wait b4 getting my son tested, he's 11 months old right now.
as i got diagnosed n probably infected during pregnancy. received a blood transfusion, n 2 months later i had jaundice like symptoms, hcv tests came back indeterminate, thn borderline, thn  positive with low grade infection. so had my baby delivered premature (c-section), but wat worries me sick is tht during the delivery or right after it,i'm not sure, the dr somehow cut my baby's leg,  the cut was around an inch in length not very deep but it bled,

[CoWriter]

If you're breastfeeding.......It is recommended that breastfeeding of HCV-RNA positive milk be stopped when infant -HCV antibody test turns negative.

Here's why......

"However, another study7 where mothers breast-fed for considerably longer, noted an exclusively breast-fed infant who had been HCV-RNA negative since birth, turning positive at 10 months, at the same time as his anti-HCV antibody, which had been positive, turned negative. The authors hypothesized that transplacental and breastmilk anti-HCV antibodies play a role in immunological protection against vertical transmission of HCV, and therefore recommended that breastfeeding of HCV-RNA positive milk be stopped when infant serum anti-HCV antibody turns negative."


"Additional HCV-RNA testing is recommended during the breastfeeding period. The optimal timing and frequency of repeat testing during gestation and lactation is not known. HCV antibodies and HCV-PCR should also be followed periodically in the infant during the first 12 to 18 months of life."

For the rest of the study see.....

http://www.breastfeeding.org/articles/hepatitis.html

[mrssajid]

thnx..

[Bill1954]

“Infants Born to HCV-Infected Women
Screening of all children born to previously HCV-infected women is recommended because ~5% will acquire the infection. The length of time passively acquired maternal antibody persists is unknown, but it is unlikely to be >12 months in most children. Therefore, testing for anti-HCV should be performed after 12 months of age. PCR testing is generally not available or recommended for routine use in these children.”

From: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;101/3/481

I’ve heard elsewhere that 18 months may be required for the child to clear any maternal antibodies; it’s probably best to consult with a qualified pediatrician regarding testing.

Best of luck to you,

Bill