There are procedures used in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a form of assisted reproductive technology, that may increase the risk of infant hepatitis C infection (HCV) when mom is HCV positive. Researchers in Egypt recently published their findings in the journal African Health Sciences.
Researchers studied two groups of infants born to mothers with HCV - the first group was comprised of 30 women with RNA negative HCV and the second group was comprised of 30 women with RNA positive HCV. All women received ICSI cycles to achieve pregnancy.
Only one infant out of the entire participant pool tested positive for HCV. That one infant was born to a woman in the RNA positive group.
Conclusion: Though the study population was small, researchers found the rate of HCV infection associated with ICSI to be 1.67% or 1 in 60, however the rate of infection in the RNA-negative group was zero.
Source: Nesrine F, Saleh H. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) status in newborns born to HCV positive women performing intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Afr Health Sci. 2012 Mar;12(1):58-62.