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Innovative approach helps new mothers get hepatitis C treatment

Giving postpartum mothers with hepatitis C the opportunity to start antiviral treatment while still in the hospital after giving birth — and delivering the medication to their bedside before discharge — significantly increases their odds of being cured, according to a new study at WashU Medicine. (Image: Sara Moser/WashU Medicine)
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Hepatitis C, a bloodborne virus that damages the liver, can cause cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death if left untreated. Despite the availability of highly effective treatments, the prevalence of hepatitis C infection remains high, particularly among women of childbearing age, who account for more than one-fifth of chronic hepatitis C infections globally. Within this group, new mothers are especially vulnerable because treatment has traditionally required outpatient follow-up appointments during the challenging postpartum period.