HCV is transmitted by exposure to infected blood, fluids from serum, and body fluids that are contaminated with blood. Children can be infected by an HCV-positive mother around the time of birth, and no treatment can prevent it. Children can also be infected by sharing a contaminated toothbrush of an HCV-positive family member or playmate. Infants who are infected with HCV at birth appear healthy during the first few years of life, however. Most children with HCV infection have no symptoms.
Diarrhea often occurs in infected children.
Other symptoms include fatigue, aches, nausea, and weight loss. Blood tests for anti-HCV antibodies can be performed after a child is 12 months old. A liver biopsy may be needed to determine the extent of liver damage. This treatment is expensive, complex, ineffective, and has many serious side effects. Immune globulin is not effective for protecting patients after infection. 5.