Recommendations for Hepatitis C Virus Testing of Infant Born to Woman with HCV

EIA testing for anti-HCV should be performed after 18 months to exclude all chances of a false positive or indeterminate results, including RIBA confirmation. A negative test done before 18 months should be a true negative.

HCV RNA testing should be done twice between the ages of 2 and 6 months. Testing before 2 months may have false positives due to passive transfer of maternal RNA (without intact virus). Samples collected at birth may give a false positive result if there is contamination with maternal blood.

A true positive infection should have both RNA tests positive.

A true negative infection should have both RNA tests negative.

If only 1 is positive, then an additional sample should be tested.