Jatin Sharma - Department of Infectious Disease
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body's immune cells, leaving a person more vulnerable to other diseases and infections. Women living with HIV that are hoping to have children are often concerned about transmitting HIV to their child, however, how concerned should they really be? One recent article looked at how vulnerable babies with HIV+ mothers are and showed how proper treatment can significantly decrease the likelihood of having an HIV+ child. Without any treatment, around 30% of babies born to an HIV+ mother will get HIV. However, if mothers are aware of their infection, take proper treatment, and follow precise precautions with their child, the chances of the infant getting HIV drop down to less than 2%.
Many guidelines must be followed to make the chance of transmission as low as possible. Babies born to HIV+ women should receive medicine as soon as possible (usually within 5 hours of birth) up until usually around 6 weeks after birth. Furthermore, another important factor mothers with HIV need to consider is breastfeeding. Because HIV can spread through breast milk, HIV+ mothers are discouraged from breastfeeding their child and are instead encouraged to use pasteurized human milk from a milk bank. Thus, if mothers undergo proper treatment and follow precise precautions with their child, the risk of the infant acquiring HIV is extremely low. And even if the child does end up having HIV, the use of therapy and other treatment at such a young age helps make sure the baby will live a long and healthy life.
References
Montgomery KS. Childbirth Education for the HIV-Positive Woman. J Perinat Educ. 2003 Fall;12(4):16-26. doi: 10.1624/105812403X107035. PMID: 17273360; PMCID: PMC1595169.
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