Vertical hepatitis C transmission more common than assumed, study finds

The rate of vertical hepatitis C transmission is nearly 25% higher than commonly assumed, according to a reanalysis of data from more than 1,700 children born to mothers infected with the virus.
The study also found, however, that the rate of spontaneous clearance within 5 years of birth is underestimated.
Anthony E. Ades, PhD, MSc, professor in the Bristol Population Health Science Institute at University of Bristol Medical School in England, and colleagues noted the “widely accepted” estimate that the risk for vertical transmission of HCV is 5% to 6% among monoinfected women, and

The rate of vertical hepatitis C transmission is nearly 25% higher than commonly assumed, according to a reanalysis of data from more than 1,700 children born to mothers infected with the virus.
The study also found, however, that the rate of spontaneous clearance within 5 years of birth is underestimated.
Anthony E. Ades, PhD, MSc, professor in the Bristol Population Health Science Institute at University of Bristol Medical School in England, and colleagues noted the “widely accepted” estimate that the risk for vertical transmission of HCV is 5% to 6% among monoinfected women, and