ABSENCE OF INFECTION IN BREAST-FED INFANTS BORN TO HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTED MOTHERS

The role of breast-feeding in perinatal transmission of hepatitis C vi rus (HCV) was explored in 15 HCV-infected mothers and their infants. T he 15 carrier mothers had anti-HCV titers ranging from 1:80 to 1:40,00 0 and also had HCV-ribonucleic acid with concentrations ranging from 1 0(4) to 2.5 X 10(8) copies/ml. Both anti-HCV antibody and HCV-ribonucl eic acid were present in colostral samples in much lower levels, but n one of the 11 breast-fed infants had evidence of HCV infection for up to 1 year of age. Thus breast-feeding seems safe for these infants.