THE NEWBORN OF AN HIV POSITVE WOMAN

Despite careful pre-pregnancy planning, close prenatal monitoring and excellent HIV specialist care, there is still that minute (less than 2%) chance that an HIV positive mother will deliver a baby who has been infected with the virus. It is natural to want to know immediately whether or not the baby is infected with HIV, but it takes at least 3 months and sometimes as long as 18 months to definitively determine the HIV status of the baby. During this time, the baby will receive a number of blood tests and will be given medication.

All babies born to HIV positive mothers will test positive for HIV antibodies at birth and for many months afterwards, because the baby is born with the mother's antibodies (this is true for HIV positive as well as HIV negative babies). Over a period of months, the baby will lose the mother's antibodies and develop his or her own. HIV antibody testing will be done on the baby at birth and then again at 1 month and at 3 months (also at 6 months if the 3 month result is positive or questionable). Once the HIV antibody test comes back negative, the baby is determined to be HIV negative, and no further testing is required. If the tests remain positive, further tests will be done to determine if the baby is infected with HIV.

After the baby is born, he or she will take an anti-HIV medication, usually AZT in liquid form, once daily for 4-6 weeks. Studies have shown that this may play a role in further decreasing the risk of HIV infection in the baby. Along with AZT, the baby will also take medication to prevent pneumonia. Both of these medications will be stopped after the baby is determined to be HIV negative.

Breastfeeding is a major mode of transmission of HIV; studies have shown an estimated 29% transmission rate from mothers who breastfeed their babies. Therefore, the newborn cannot be breastfed. The healthcare provider will prescribe the right formula for the baby and will monitor his or her tolerance to the food an growth.

After the baby is born, the mom must continue to closely follow all of the recommendations of her HIV treatment specialist and do everything that she can to keep herself healthy. By working closely with her healthcare providers, the HIV positive mom can look forward to raising children and seeing them grow and mature into adulthood. HIV no longer prevents women from fulfilling their dreams to have families, and that is a huge step forward in this epidemic.