Birth Outcomes Among People with Hepatitis C in Pregnancy — Three U.S. States, 2018–2021

• Published in: Maternal and child health journal 2024-06, Vol.28 (6), p.979-983
• Main Authors: Woodworth, Kate R., Newton, Suzanne M., Tannis, Ayzsa, Reynolds, Megan R., Olsen, Emily O., Sizemore, Lindsey, Wingate, Heather, Orkis, Lauren, Reynolds, Bethany, Longcore, Nicole, Thomas, Nadia, Kim, Shin Y., Panagiotakopoulos, Lakshmi, Wester, Carolyn, Delman, Dana Meaney, Gilboa, Suzanne M., Tong, Van T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Brief Reports; Cohort Studies; Drug use; Female; Gestational age; Gynecology; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Intensive care; Maternal and Child Health; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Pediatrics; Population Economics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - epidemiology; Pregnancy Outcome - epidemiology; Premature Birth - epidemiology; Public Health; Sociology; Substance use; Substance use disorder; Surveillance; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1092-7875; 1573-6628
• DOI: 10.1007/s10995-024-03917-3

Introduction There are limited and conflicting data regarding the impact of hepatitis C in pregnancy on adverse birth outcomes. Methods Using the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Pregnant People and Infants Network (SET-NET), a large surveillance cohort, we describe birth outcomes among a cohort of people with HCV in pregnancy in total and by reported substance use. Results Among 1418 infants, 89% were born to people with reported substance use during pregnancy. The proportion born preterm was 20%, 13% were small-for-gestational age and 34% of term infants required intensive care. Conclusions Assessments of recent changes to recommendations for HCV screening in pregnancy should evaluate the impact on maternal access to care for both HCV treatment as well as comorbidities such as substance use disorder which may contribute to adverse birth outcomes. Significance Incidence of hepatitis C in pregnancy is increasing. Prematurity, small-for-gestational age, and intensive care unit admission were common among this surveillance cohort of infants born to people with hepatitis C in pregnancy with high frequency of substance use. Assessments of recent changes to recommendations for HCV screening in pregnancy should evaluate the impact on maternal access to care for both HCV treatment as well as comorbidities such as substance use disorder which may contribute to adverse birth outcomes.