One way the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is transmitted to another person is from mother to child. This is also known as vertical and perinatal transmission. The infection can occur before or during birth, as well as during breast-feeding. An expecting mother with HIV can greatly reduce the risk of passing the virus to her child with preventive measures. AVERT, an international organization, states that there is a 20 to 45 percent chance of mother to baby infection if the mother is not being treated and breast-feeds.
About HIV
HIV is a virus that weakens the body's natural immune system by destroying CD4 cells. It may be transmitted when a person comes into contact with infected fluids---blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast milk. With a compromised immune system, the person with HIV is very susceptible to some cancers and infections. People with normal immune functions can fight off influenza or common cold viruses, but it may be fatal to those with HIV. After a varying length of time, a person may develop AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Statistics
The March of Dimes estimates between 120,000 and 160,000 women in the United States are infected with HIV. Approximately 6,000 to 7,000 of these women with HIV give birth each year. The American Pregnancy Association reports that 90 percent of children infected with HIV got it from their mothers. Modern treatment can reduce the risk of mother to baby transmission to 2 percent. About 15 percent of babies will be infected if the infected mother breast-feeds for 24 months or longer.
Testing
The U.S. Public Health Service recommends pregnant women test for HIV. If a mother is infected, she can plan to prevent transmission to the baby and others. However, most clinicians are not allowed to test pregnant women for HIV without their permission. Women who refuse testing may receive counseling to reduce transmission and the importance of HIV education. The National Institutes of Health also recommend all babies to be tested for HIV, but the requirements differ in each state.
Prevention
To prevent perinatal transmission, a mother can take antiretroviral drugs, or ARV. According to AVERT, it is vital for HIV-infected pregnant women to take ARVs to lower the risk of passing the virus to the baby. The dosage and drug therapy vary depending on the individual woman's condition and needs. The 2010 World Health Organization guidelines recommend that all infants born to HIIV positive mothers should be breastfed for six months and fed with formula for up to a year. The March of Dimes Foundation say that transmission probability decreases if a woman has a cesarean birth before labor starts or the membrane ruptures.
Antiretroviral Drug Therapy
Not all HIV women require ARV treatment for their health. AIDSInfo suggests that regardless of the pre-pregnancy therapy, women should be treated when pregnant. Retrovir and zidovudine are antiretroviral drugs also known as AZT or ZDV. The guidelines recommend that women receive these drugs intravenously during labor and delivery. For six weeks after birth, the newborn should be given AZT every six hours to reduce the risk of infection.
