Quest Diagnostics launched a new obstetrics test panel that is designed to allow physicians to easily test pregnant people for hepatitis C.
The test panel screens for hepatitis C alongside other commonly ordered tests during the early stages of pregnancy, including blood typing, hepatitis B, syphilis and rubella, according to an Oct. 17 news release from the company.
The CDC recommends all pregnant people be tested for hepatitis C, except in areas where the percentage of hepatitis C infections is lower than 0.1 percent.
Between 2011 and 2014, an estimated 1,700 infants in the U.S. were born with hepatitis C each year, the release said.