Hepatitis C is when the liver is infected by the hepatitis C virus and might not work as well as it should. The liver, an organ in the right upper abdomen, has several jobs, including breaking down fatty food, storing energy, clearing toxins from the blood, and making proteins that help blood to clot.

Hepatitis C often does not cause symptoms. When it does, it may cause fever, feeling tired, belly pain, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), joint pain, and nausea or vomiting. While kids may feel fine within a few weeks, the infection often remains, and they may need to see a liver specialist.

People with hepatitis C can be treated with medicine to help avoid problems in the future. Medicine often cures the infection.

• Follow the health care provider's instructions for treating any symptoms your child is having.
• Talk to your health care provider before you give your child any over-the-counter medicines (the kind you can buy without a prescription), such as pain or fever medicines (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) or herbal supplements.
• Do not give aspirin to your child or teen as it has been linked to a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.
• Give your child all prescribed medicines exactly as directed.
• Make sure your child rests as needed.
• Your child should eat normally and drink plenty of fluids. Small, frequent meals without fatty foods can help with nausea.
• To keep the virus from spreading, family members should not share toothbrushes or razors.
• If your child has not been vaccinated against hepatitis A or hepatitis B, talk to your health care provider about getting these vaccines.

Your child:

• has severe diarrhea or weight loss
• has pain under the ribs on the right side of the belly
• is bruising easily
• has a swollen belly or swelling of another part of the body
• has severe itching

Your child:

• vomits blood
• has blood in the stool (poop) or urine (pee)
• has severe pain
• is vomiting and can't keep liquids down
• seems confused or unusually sleepy
• has trouble breathing
• shows signs of dehydration, such as dizziness, drowsiness, a dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes, peeing less often than usual, dark pee, or crying with little or no tears

How do people get hepatitis C? Hepatitis C can spread through sexual contact, sharing contaminated needles or other items (like razors or toothbrushes), or kidney dialysis. A mother with hepatitis C can pass it to her baby during childbirth. Some people have few or no symptoms. Even without symptoms, an infected person can pass the hepatitis C virus to others.

What can protect others from getting hepatitis C? To prevent the spread of hepatitis C, people should always use condoms when having sex, not use intravenous drugs or share needles, and not share toothbrushes or razors. Someone with hepatitis C should not donate blood.