The prevalence of HCV infection in a cohort of pregnant women, the related risk factors and the possibility of vertical transmission.

The prevalence of antibodies for one or more HCV antigens was 2.3% of 1,347 mothers at childbirth. Compared with the principal factors studied, the presence of antibodies was more frequent in women who were carriers of HIV infection (3/3), in those who had suffered liver diseases (5/37) or who had had transfusion (3/25). This was as opposed to women who did not have any risk factor (p < 0.001). The prevalence of HCV-RNA was 1.3%; in relation to the antibody state, such a condition was more frequent in subjects with antibodies for 3 or 4 antigens (about 80%) compared with those who were positive for 1 or 2 antigens. HCV-RNA of the same genotype as the mother (type 1; 1a) was also found in the funicular blood of 2 of the 18 babies born to mothers who were positive for HCV-RNA. In the course of the follow-up (from the 3rd to the 18th month) the viral RNA was not found in any of the babies, nor was it found in the 2 who were positive at birth. Even the antibodies gradually disappeared, although slowly. At the 10th month, 91% of the babies resulted as having no antibodies and at the 18th month none of the babies resulted as having antibodies. Breast-feeding also appeared to have no influence on the transmission of the infection; out of 18 viremic mothers indeed 12 (67%) breast-fed their babies.