It is generally safe to breastfeed if you have hepatitis C, but you may need to stop nursing your child if the nipple is cracked or bleeding. Talk with your doctor about your hepatitis C treatment plan while nursing.

Experts estimate that somewhere between 2.7 and 3.9 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis C, a viral infection that causes liver inflammation and damage. Hepatitis C can lead to cirrhosis or liver failure and spreads to others through contact with infected blood.

If you have hepatitis C, your baby may be more likely to contract the hepatitis C virus (HCV). If you have hepatitis C and a newborn baby, you may worry about passing HCV onto your baby by nursing. However, nursing with hepatitis C is generally safe if you do not have cracked, bleeding nipples.

It’s important to talk with your doctor or healthcare professional about whether you should continue your hepatitis C treatments during pregnancy and nursing.

In addition to the information below, you may want to read more about hepatitis C.

It is generally considered safe to breastfeed if you have HCV. There is no evidence that HCV can be passed through breast milk.

If you have hepatitis C and your nipples are bleeding, it is advisable to stop nursing with that breast until it heals because HCV passes through blood.

While your nipple is healing, you can pump and dump your breast milk to help maintain your milk supply. You may need to supplement your baby’s feedings with donor milk or formula during this time. A lactation consultant can offer additional advice and support you with this.

HCV passes through blood, so it’s important to maintain good hygiene and cover any open wounds when handling your baby. You’ll want to pay particular attention to your nipples and ensure that there are no open wounds or bleeding before nursing.

Because little is known about nursing while on hepatitis C medications, experts currently recommend avoiding breastfeeding if you’re taking treatments for hepatitis C.

As more research becomes available in the future, some medications like sofosbuvir may be recommended to treat hepatitis C while breastfeeding.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all pregnant individuals be tested for HCV. This can be done through a blood test.

The only way to know whether your baby has HCV is to test their blood for the virus, too. If you have reason to believe they could have been exposed to HCV, testing should occur when they are between 2 and 6 months old.

If you had hepatitis C while pregnant, your pediatrician will likely test the infant when they are between 2 and 6 months old, with a special test called a nucleic acid test. This type of test is recommended since maternal antibody is present in the baby’s blood for the first 18 months of life.

If you have reason to believe they could have been exposed to HCV after birth, talk with their doctor or healthcare professional about testing them at any age.

If you have hepatitis C and are pregnant, you may wish to ask your doctor questions such as:

  • When can I begin and stop my hepatitis C treatment?
  • Are there any risks to my baby’s development that I need to be aware of?
  • Does my baby need to be tested for HCV? If so, when is the best time to do the testing?
  • Can you give me a lactation consultant referral?
  • Does my baby need to have hepatitis vaccinations earlier than usual?

The risk of a pregnant individual passing HCV to an infant is about 1 in 20. This risk increases if the birthing person is also HIV positive.

Most babies with HCV do not show symptoms. However, HCV can lead to serious liver problems when undetected, so it’s important to have your child’s blood tested if there is a chance they may have HCV.

There are medications to treat HCV, but these medications are not approved for use until a child is 3 years old. Some babies can clear HCV from their system on their own before they are 3 years old and will not need treatment.

While children with HCV need to be careful about spreading the virus through blood contact with others, they can typically engage in usual childhood activities.

It is typically considered safe to breastfeed if you have hepatitis C. You may need to stop nursing your baby if your nipple is cracked and bleeding, though. A lactation consultant can be helpful if you have questions or concerns about nursing with hepatitis C.

If you believe you may have hepatitis C, you’ll want to talk with your doctor and get tested. It’s important to talk with your doctor about whether to continue hepatitis C treatments while you are nursing. It’s also important to talk with your doctor about getting your baby tested for HCV if you had hepatitis C while pregnant.