Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is recognized as the major public health concern affecting 170 million people worldwide. Recently, The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) has released new clinical guidelines for the management of HCV infection during pregnancy. The current article discusses these recommendations published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Management recommendations Screening/Work-up: The women at the increased risk for HCV should be screened for anti-HCV antibodies at the time of their first prenatal visit.
If the test results are negative initially, then the screening should be repeated later in pregnancy in women with persistent or new risk factors for HCV infection. The detection of anti-HCV antibodies and HCV RNA are the main basis for the diagnosis of HCV in pregnancy. A screening for other sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, syphilis,…
