Updated Clinical Guidelines on the Management of Hepatitis C Infection in Children

Abstract

Children represent only a small proportion of those infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) compared to adults. Nevertheless, a substantial number of children have chronic HCV infection and are at risk of complications including cirrhosis, portal hypertension, hepatic decompensation with hepatic encephalopathy, and hepatocellular carcinoma in adulthood. The overall prevalence of the HCV in children was estimated to be 0.87% worldwide. The HCV spreads through the blood. Children born to women with chronic hepatitis C should be evaluated and tested for HCV due to the known risk of infection. The course of treatment for hepatitis C depends on the type of HCV. Currently, there are two pan-genotype HCV treatments (Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir and Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir) for children. We aim to review the updated clinical guidelines on the management of HCV infection in children, including screening, diagnosis, and long-term monitoring, as well as currently published clinical trials and ongoing research on direct acting antiviral hepatitis C treatment in children.

Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents in Prevention of Maternal–Fetal Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus in Pregnancy

“…A proposal established in 2018 planned to perform a systemic review of pregnancy outcomes in pregnant mothers with HCV infection to characterize the short- and long-term risks associated with HCV-infected pregnancy; the results are to be published soon [ 34 ]. The treatment of HCV in children is not the aim of this study and is reviewed elsewhere [ 35 ].…”