Patient's question:
Patient is female, 34. Previously, during prenatal care for her son, a urine test at the maternal and child health care center revealed hepatitis C. However, due to the need to take care of the newborn baby, she never followed up for further testing and treatment.Doctor's answer:
Hepatitis C does not undergo intergenerational transmission. By the time the baby is one year old, irregular health checks have already been implemented, but comprehensive viral testing should be conducted to confirm the baby's health. However, it is still recommended that you undergo hepatitis C treatment since you have already completed breastfeeding. Please visit a regular hospital for comprehensive tests including liver function, DNA, and hepatitis C virus RNA. It is also advisable to have an ultrasound, hepatitis C antibody testing, and liver pathology examination. The incubation period for hepatitis C typically ranges from 2 weeks to 6 months. After the hepatitis C virus enters the human body, it first causes viremia, which intermittently reappears throughout the course of the disease.