On December 6 Katherine Dettwyler requested information on Hepatitis C and
Breastfeeding.  The following is a reissue of my earlier message on the
subject from a couple of months ago.  I do not know of any new information
on the subject since then.


1.  Kurauchi, O. et al.  Arch Gynec & Obstet 253:121, 1993
2.  Ogasawara, S. et al.  Lancet 341:561, 1993
3.  Uehara, S. et al.  Tohoki J. Exp. Med. 171:195, 1993
4.  Wejstal, R. et al.  J Med Virol 30:178, 1990
5.  Zanetti, A.R. et al.  Lancet 345:289, 1995
6.  Lin, H-H. et al.  J. Pediatr 126:589, 1995

References 1, 2 and 3 are from Japan; Reference 4 from Sweden; Reference 5
from Italy; Reference 6 from Taiwan, ROC.

These six papers report a total of 135 infants breastfed by mothers who
were HCV-RNA positive. 124 infants were tested for HCV-RNA and only one was
positive.  One additional infant had clinical and histologic hepatitis but
was not tested for RNA.  Thus, of 135 infants, one or two were infected with
hepatitis C.  This is not significantly different from the reported
incidence of hepatitis C vertical transmission from carrier mothers to
infants in the total reported, most of whom were not breastfed.  A larger
study population is needed to be certain about the risk of transmission of
hepatitis C in breastmilk or from breastfeeding, but this data suggests that
it is extremely small, if there is any increased risk at all.  This small
risk must be balanced against the demonstrated benefits of breastfeeding in
reducing or preventing other infant infections and illnesses.
Lawrence M. Gartner, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynecology
The University of Chicago
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]