Hepatitis C is a disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which leads to inflammation of the liver. Although there are far fewer cases of children being infected by hepatitis C, the early warning signs are quite the same as those seen in adults. Herein, we discuss these early warning signs and how children are likely to contract hepatitis C.

Signs and symptoms
The top early warning signs of hepatitis C in children include

• Fatigue
  If the child is getting tired too quickly, it could be a sign of a hepatitis C infection. While children could get tired easily due to other causes, it never hurts to check for a hep C infection.
• Loss of appetite
  Children suffering from the early warning signs of hepatitis C will face loss of appetite. They will not like anything put in front of them, even if it is food that they like. So, parents need to be careful and check and keep track of their child’s eating habits and behaviors.
• Darker-colored urine
  Darker-colored urine that is spotted with red or coffee-colored stains is a sure-shot sign of an HCV infection. It could also be a sign of internal bleeding, so one needs to rush their kid to the hospital immediately.
• Aches and joint pains
  If the child’s muscles and body are aching for no reason at all, it’s a sign of a possible HCV infection. If a child has particularly joint pain, they need to be taken to the doctor immediately.
• Itching and hives
  Hives and itching are common early warning signs of an HCV infection in children.
• Loose, light-colored stools
  If the stool is light-colored, it indicates that the levels of bile or bilirubin levels in the body have peaked. Bile levels go up when the body is unable to throw the bile out due to excessive HCV levels in the body.
• Jaundice
  Jaundice is another common sign and symptom of a hep C infection. Jaundice is when the skin and the eyes turn yellow. While jaundice occurs due to more than one reason, the HCV infection could be due to just one reason. Bile is also the reason jaundice occurs, and bile build-up in the body is also a sign of an HCV infection.
• Nausea and vomiting
  Nausea and vomiting are also quite common signs and symptoms of an HCV infection.

Since hepatitis C is majorly spread via contact with infected blood, children are more likely to contract the HCV in the following cases:

• Sharing personal hygiene items such as nail clippers and toothbrushes with hepatitis C virus-infected blood on it. So, if the child has been around any of these, get them tested.
• If a child is born to a mother who has the HCV virus. This might not always be the case, and the child may turn out to not have the virus as well. However, as soon as the child is born to a mother who is HCV-positive, they need to be tested for the virus in their body.