Hepatitis C in Children

Hepatitis C is a condition that causes an inflamed liver. There are two forms of Hepatitis C: acute and chronic. Acute Hepatitis C generally lasts about 6 months. According to Colorado Children's Hospital, about 2 in 10 people will fight off acute Hepatitis C on their own. If acute Hepatitis C does not go away on its own and is not treated, it will turn into chronic Hepatitis C.

Significance

• Hepatitis C infects more than 4 million people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four in 100 children have chronic Hepatitis C, according to the American Liver Foundation.

Causes

• Hepatitis C is caused by a virus and is passed through contact with blood. It can also be passed from mother to infant during childbirth.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Hepatitis C include fatigue, loss of appetite, jaundice and abdominal pain. However, more than 50 percent of individuals with Hepatitis C have no symptoms.

Diagnosis

• Hepatitis C diagnosis is made through blood tests to check for the virus. There are also genotype tests to test for the various types of the Hepatitis C virus, which will help determine treatment.

Treatments

• There are no FDA-approved treatments for Hepatitis C in children, according to the Colorado Children's Hospital. Interferon and ribavirin are two drugs used to treat adults that are also sometimes used in children.