[Detection of serum antibody of hepatitis C virus in parturients and their newborns].

Detection of serum antibody of hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) with ELISA kits was performed in 315 parturients and their newborns. The results indicated that some of the infants, born of mothers infected with HCV were also anti-HCV positive, and a high positive rate of abnormal maternal hepato-function harbored a markedly positive rate of anti-HCV both in mother and newborn and bore a positive correlation to the maternal age. These suggest that besides the five routine tests, anti-HCV should better be determined, especially in mothers with abnormal hepato-function. If possible, in such cases HCV-RNA should be examined by using revert nested polymerase chain reaction technique to determine whether a vertical mother-infant transmission exists.