Babies are sometimes found to have antibodies to the virus but these usually disappear by the time the baby is 12 to 18 months old, which shows that the antibodies are acquired from the mother and that the baby has never been infected with the virus. Doctors do not yet know if the disease that occurs when a baby is infected will go on to become serious. Infected mothers are often concerned about passing the virus on to their other children. As long as the precautions listed on page 11 are followed, household transmission is a low risk. Kissing and cuddling a child is safe.
Most doctors consider breast feeding to be safe.
In theory infection could be possible if a mother has cracked nipples which bleed and a baby has a cut in the mouth. There is no certain method of cleaning needles, syringes and drug paraphernalia that will guarantee no risk. It may offer little or no protection against hepatitis C. bleach In situations where there is no provision for clean injecting equipment from a needle exchange, bleaching is better than doing nothing. There is a danger of other people becoming infected if it is thrown away with household rubbish. In the absence of a proper sharps disposal bin it is best to put the needle and syringe in a sealed container such as a coffee jar and then into a carrier bag.