Mother-to-infant hepatitis C virus transmission and breastfeeding.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood-borne virus that is transmitted most efficiently by irect percutaneous exposures to blood. Infants are at risk of HCV infection primarily as a result of transmission from their infected mothers. However, there is no evidence of mother-to-infant transmission from breastfeeding. According to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, maternal HCV infection is not a contraindication to breastfeeding. It may be prudent for mothers who are HCV-infected and who choose to breastfeed to consider abstaining from breastfeeding if their nipples are cracked and bleeding.