It is so easy for a pregnant mother to give the HIV virus to her child.
In the womb, a baby can be infected by the virus passing into its body
through the blood that passes up the umbilical cord.
The baby can be infected during labour and birth when passing down
the birth canal and being covered in the blood of the mother.
A new born baby can be infected by HIV in mother’s breast milk.
...the womb can be protected from HIV infection even if mother is.
HIV positive.A Newsletter of the United States Mission , Nigeria
But a mother can take precautions by early medical examination soon
after pregnancy. If HIV positive, the mother should be given the ARV
treatment at about 12th week, so the Department of Health in Papua
If delivers before ARV initiation Std ... Women on ARV before pregnancy.
Review medication if on EFV, ...
ARV treatment should continue through the pregnancy. Chemicals
are destroying the virus in the blood and reducing the chance that
infected blood will transmit the virus to the baby either in the womb,
during birth or during breast feeding.
Triple-ARV prophylaxis during pregnancy and breastfeeding is effective
in reducing MTCT with no short-term safety concerns.
We are advised by the PNG Department of Health that at the birth
of the child, there should be ARV treatment given at least until breast
feeding is over if the child is HIV negative.
The mother should be advised even before birth of the strategy of
breast-feeding. The baby should be given exclusive breast milk for
3-4-6 months.
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 infection in exclusive breastfeeding
in first 6 months of life: an intervention cohort study
Check with the doctor to find the latest advice. Solid food or water
should not be given during the time of exclusive breast feeding.
In developed countries, advice is that a baby should be given bottled
milk. But we have to remember that the baby has no immune system
and no antibodies until about the 16th month.
Other advice for developing countries is that the mother expresses her
milk, warms and gives to the baby with a spoon. The milk should not
be boiled as this will destroy the antibodies in the milk. The warming
is believed to kill the HIV.
is believed to kill the HIV.
A baby relies on breast milk for antibodies from the mother especially
the first creamy milk or colostrum.
An HIV mother should not smoke during pregnancy or breast feeding.
This will cause the baby to have throat /chest infections that will cause
entry of HIV in the mother’s milk.
of HIV from mother to child is an important part ... can increase the risk of
HIV transmission during pregnancy include smoking, ...
www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/aids... - Cached -
smoking marijuana while pregnant is harmful to your baby. ... Mother to child
transmission via breast feeding was scantly understood yet positive mothers ...
As well, an HIV infected mother should not breast feed other young children
while feeding her baby. Other children may have colds, cutting teeth, infected
gums which may enable infection with HIV.
In writing this, I am saying sorry to my son who was probably infected with
HIV from drinking his mother’s milk and died at 2 ½ years old in 2002. This
report has medical information but it is very much a carer's report.
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