Facts & Solutions for Mother to Child HIV Transmission

Also known as perinatal transmission, HIV positive mothers may infect their babies with the disease during pregnancy, labor, delivery or breastfeeding. The issue is a significant one, as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2005, 6051 people in 33 states said that they were living with HIV that they contracted perinatally.

Statistics

• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention also states that in 2005 in the 33 states, 142 children under the age of 13 who were infected with HIV perinatally were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Also in the study, researchers looked at the genetic makeup of infected people. Approximately 66 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS due to perinatal infection were black, and approximately 20 percent were Hispanic or Latino. It is important to remember that these results only represent the people from the 33 states who chose to participate.

Testing for HIV

• Testing is different for infants.

  While adults are tested for HIV through analysis of their antibodies, this process does not work for babies. Since babies retain antibodies from their mothers until they are 18 months, babies of HIV positive mothers may test positively themselves for HIV even if they do not have the disease. Therefore, the antibodies are not looked at, and the babies are tested directly for HIV until they reach 18 months. After that, they go through the same procedure as adults.

Creating Awareness

• Some pregnant women may not know they have HIV.

  Part of preventing the problem is being aware that the problem exists. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 percent of people with HIV do not know they are infected and 25 percent of women with HIV will transmit the disease to their child. In order to work on a solution, all pregnant women should be tested for HIV so if they have the disease, precautions can be taken early in order to prevent the transmission to the child.

Antiretroviral Drugs

• Women in the advanced stages of HIV take antiretroviral drugs every day in order to remain healthy and to aid in the prevention of perinatal transmission. A doctor should always be consulted, but the doses usually begin either immediately or after the first trimester. The newborns will also be on the treatment plan for up to the first few weeks of life. Mothers who do not need the drug for their own condition will be given a shorter treatment before the birth of their child.

Breastfeeding

• Breastfeeding is part of the problem.

  HIV positive mothers are encouraged not to breastfeed, or to cease breastfeeding as soon as possible. However, in some countries there are no healthy alternatives, so the mothers do not have a choice. In those cases, a woman should consult her doctor in order to discuss the best course of action to take. HIV positive women should never mix breastfeeding with other forms of feeding because the latter can destroy the lining of the stomach, making the child more susceptible to HIV.