If your child tests positive for Hepatitis C, don’t panic! Here is what Families for Russian & Ukrainian Adoption (FRUA) learned while gathering information for its Resource Directory. This is not meant to be medical advice and should not be viewed as such.Hepatitis C is not necessarily life threatening. The general consensus is that approximately 25% of the US immigrant population tests positive for Hepatitis C. (The CDC estimates that this figure mirrors the general US population). Most people are probably not aware that they would test positive, since it is not a standard screening for many doctors. The virus received national attention when Mickey Mantle needed a liver transplant as a result of Hepatitis C.
Many doctors are not worried about a child who tests positive for Hepatitis C leading a normal life. The bigger concern is whether the child ever had an active case. Even though your child is healthy now, is there anything in the past that indicates viral symptoms?
Hepatitis C has a long latency period. A person testing positive may not have any problems at all, ever. Some go as long as 40 years before any issues surface. A relatively small percentage who test positive develop an active case that results in a needed liver transplant or other life altering problems.
The immediate family and others in close contact with the person who tests positive are not in any danger of contracting the disease through casual contact, including sharing food and kisses. Transmission via sexual contact is extremely low. Transmission is generally through the bloodstream or stools. It is not advisable for the positive person to share a toothbrush or to give blood. Wash hands thoroughly after changing the diaper of a child who tests positive for Hepatitis C.
Children with Hepatitis C should be seen by a gastroenterologist annually. Liver enzymes should be tested via blood work before visiting the doctor, so the doctor can compare the lab results with the physical child. The doctor will check for swelling of the liver, yellowed skin tone and other signs of Hepatitis C.
A common question is "Should I have my child retested before leaving Russia?" It is not advisable. There is no way to guarantee that the needle used to take the blood sample is clean and you may be putting your child at unnecessary additional risk. Even if you were to provide a sterile syringe, there may not be a doctor or lab to process or interpret the test properly.
If the person who tests positive lives a fairly clean life, especially by limiting alcohol and drug use, the risk of escalating the disease is very small. In Mickey Mantle’s case, his love of alcohol was also widely publicized.
