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Children’s Hospital Medical Center docs see rise in hep C in babies and kids; it’s another symptom of the heroin epidemic, they say.
HAMILTON, OHIO – Whether she’s climbing into her toy box, scribbling with markers in her “Frozen” coloring book or reciting alphabet letters in a sing-song voice, Kadileyah is the picture of a happy toddler.
She is also a silent victim of the heroin epidemic.
She is 2, and although she appears as healthy (even with the runny nose) as any toddler, Kadileyah is among a growing number of children with chronic hepatitis C in Greater Cincinnati. While the annual number of cases remains in the double digits. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has seen a 450 percent rise in them since 2009.
Her grandmother, with a broken heart, says the runny nose has been with Kadileyah for a month. Neither time nor antibiotics have helped. The latest news on Kadileyah is that, even though she was immunized for hepatitis A and B, she hasn’t built up an immunity to the viruses.
She plays and learns at home in Hamilton, said Angelia Crouch, whom Kadileyah calls “Momma,” because “daycare would not be a good option for her.” She’s too likely to get sick.