Hepatitis C (HCV) is a chronic infection that attacks the liver and if not treated liver failure, cancer, and/or death can be the result. This infection is spread through contact with contaminated/infected blood and most individuals that are carriers of Hepatitis C have no symptoms. Typically, we know the most common spread of HCV is done through dirty needles, but what about spreading it inutero if an infected person was pregnant? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a mother can transmit Hepatitis C to her baby via pregnancy, during delivery, and/or up to a month after the baby is born. On March 1, 2018 a bill was proposed in Kentucky to screen all pregnant women for HCV, where as previously only pregnant women who were high-risk were screened for HCV (Kentucky General Assembly, 2018). The bill also states that it is recommended babies get tested if their mother did in fact test positive for HCV. By testing every pregnant woman and the babies born to a positive tested mom for HCV we are able to help identify, treat, and slow down the spread of transmission. This bill, now a law, was passed in April of 2018. Kentucky is t
he first state to require HCV testing to all pregnant women and it will be done at their first prenatal appointment. As an advanced practice nurse (APN) this is something that is needed to be implemented in everyday practice. If you are an APN in an obstetric office you would need to screen every pregnant woman that you see, if it hasnt already been ordered. HCV antibodies can cross the placenta and be passed from the pregnant woman to the baby, therefore the presence of antibodies in the babys blood right after delivery is not enough to make a diagnosis for neonatal infection of HCV (Hughes, Page, & Kuller. 2017). The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC recommend for screening to be completed after the baby is 18 months of age (Hughes et al., 2017). I will be working in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as an APN and it will be very important to always review the mothers HCV results and know whether follow-up testing for baby is needed. Education will need to be provided to the mother regarding possible transmission to baby, breastfeeding, the importance for follow up, and when and where the screening process for baby will take place.