Did I Pass Hepatitus C too My Daughter?

[Tracy45]

My daughter is now 28,just got engaged and i have no idea how or what to do with this problem.I went to join a trial to test a drug for people with H.I.V,prior to joining the trial i had a full medical to see if i was all fit and ok,i went back for the results not worried about anything and found out i had Hep C,i was stunned to say the least and have no idea how i contracted it although i had a heart operation and blood given to me when i was 5yr old.Hep C was only discovered a few years ago in comparison to Hep A & B and can only be passed by blood unlike the other two.I was told there are thousands of people walking around with HepC unaware as there is no sign until its too late,so i would advise people to take a test,but back to my problem if i passed it to emma during birth i have to tell her but how do i broach it that she should be tested,i don't want her to develope liver cirrosis,or when she has a family pass it on to her child,this is the hardest thing i have had to do.Please just take a test for piece of mind it can be controlled but you dont wish to pass it on too your children through birth.Thankyou Tracy.

according to the nhs there is only a 1 in 20 chance of passing from mum to baby so fingers crossed.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Hepatitis-C/Pages/Introduction.aspx - hope you get the confidence to tell her and that everything works out ok for you both

I'm sorry, what a shock I know how it feels, too.

I had hepatitis C (HCV) years ago - and also had it for years without knowing, and found out by chance. It was before I had children though, and I was lucky enough to have treatment and clear the virus before I had the dds.

The odds of your dd having contracted the virus during birth, or over the years since then, are very very low. If it was me, I'd probably want to tell her once I was ready (not when I"d just been diagnosed - too panicky, and there really is no rush!) so she has the option of getting tested. Its the only way to know for sure, and treatment is very good nowadays so even if she was one of the few unlucky ones, she would have an excellent chance of clearing the virus way before developing any problems.

Personally, I would a) wait till I felt settled about my own condition then b) just be honest - tell her you've had a nasty shock, and discovered you have a virus that can cause liver damage then c) let her know there is a teeny tiny chance she could have caught it from you, and should probably get tested at some point.

Before doing it, just make sure you have lots of info to hand in case she wants to ask you about it

I personally have two friends who have had children whilst HCV+ and the children have not caught the virus. Unless Emma had cuts/abrasions AND there was a lot of your blood around during the birth, its pretty much impossible for her to have caught it then. And unless she has mixed blood with you since - open wounds, cuts, toothbrushes with bleeding gums, that kind of thing - again, very unlikely.

There is a great charity, which I think is called the HCV Trust, or Hepatitis C Trust, which will give you information, support, and people to talk to if you want them....do Google them (I'm sorry, I don't know how to do links!).

And good for you for letting others know how common - and treatable - this is. The Trust has been campaigning for years to get the profile raised, so people have the option of getting tested!