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Newsletter highlights:

Rise in Perinatal Hepatitis C: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are increasing among infants and children. Perinatal transmission (mother to child during pregnancy or delivery) is the most common route for children, potentially leading to severe complications like liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Gaps in Pediatric HCV Testing: A study published in JAMA Network Open revealed that most young children exposed perinatally to HCV do not receive guideline-concordant testing or treatment. Out of 4,103 exposed children aged 2 and older, only 41.9% were tested according to guidelines.

New Learning Collaborative Open for Recruitment: The AAP has opened applications for its “Partnering to Protect Infants and Children from Emerging Threats: Virtual Learning Collaborative.” The program aims to strengthen partnerships and communication between clinicians, families, and public health partners.

Pregnancy Tdap Vaccination Reaffirmed as Safe: A review by the Vaccine Integrity Project responded to recent public debate by confirming that receiving the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy is safe and effectively protects newborns from pertussis (whooping cough).

Upcoming CMV Awareness and Health Transition Events: June is recognized as CMV Awareness Month with a new 2026 toolkit available from the NBDPN. Additionally, the AAP and Parent to Parent USA will host a “Coffee Talk” webinar on June 16th focused on navigating the transition from pediatric to adult health care.