Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

Avoiding HIV Transmission During Labor, Delivery, and Breastfeeding

Aug 6, 2008

Every year nearly half a million children under the age of fifteen are infected with HIV. Of these, ninety percent result from mother-to child transmission.

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV can occur during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or breastfeeding. In the past ten years new medical advances have made the risk of mother-to-child transmission significantly lower. There are two main points where intervention can lower the risk of HIV transmission: during labor and delivery and during breastfeeding.

Prevention During Labor and Delivery

In developed countries, the rates of perinatal transmission of HIV have plummeted since treatments became available in the mid-1990s. A long course of antiretroviral drugs taken throughout a woman’s pregnancy can reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission to two-percent. While this method of prevention has the best chance of preventing HIV in the infant, the availability of this treatment is often limited in rural and underdeveloped area.

In 1999, a shorter, less expensive course of treatment was found to be effective at preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. This allows for only one dose to be taken by the mother while she is in labor and a second to be given to the child after birth. These short course treatments cut the risk of HIV transmission in half.

Despite these recent advances, less than a quarter of HIV infected women receive any sort of treatment or preventative efforts. There are simply not enough services being provided and the services that are provided are usually not located in areas with the greatest need.

Even in areas where services are available, about 2/3 of women give birth without a skilled health care provider in attendance. This reduces their chanced of receiving treatment. When services are available, many women do not seek treatment because they are unaware of their HIV status.

Breastfeeding Concerns

Since HIV can be transmitted from a mother to a child through breastfeeding, it is important for HIV positive mothers to abstain from breastfeeding and use replacement foods. While avoiding breastfeeding can prevent transmission of HIV from the mother to the infant, there are other concerns to consider before beginning a replacement feeding regimen.

In resource poor areas, many mothers do not have access to the clean water and fuel that make replacement feeding feasible and safe. Without clean water, babies fed formula are likely to have digestive problems and suffer from malnutrition. Clinics recommending that women not breastfeed children because of their HIV status should be sure that the woman has access to the supplies necessary to safely use replacement feeding.

If using replacement feeding, the mother and physician should first be sure that the mother will be able to use this method consistently. Studies have shown that alternating between breastfeeding and alternative nutrition sources caries the greatest risk of HIV transmission.

The copyright of the article Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in AIDS/HIV is owned by Jamie Robertson. Permission to republish Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.