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Perinatal HIV

© Geneva M. Edwards

What Is Perinatal HIV?

Perinatal means the time period right before and right after the birth of a baby. HIV is the abbreviation for Human Immunodeficienc Virus, the virus that causes the disease AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Perinatal HIV means that HIV has been transmitted to a baby from the mother, either before birth or right after birth. Babies born to mothers who have HIV have approximately a 30% chance of developing the HIV infection. This infection may be transmitted to a baby during pregnancy, during labor and delivery or during the breast feeding process.

If I Am HIV Positive How Will I Know If My Baby Has HIV?

During pregnancy a mother's antibodies are transmitted onto her unborn child until the baby is able to produce its own antibodies. Therefore, all the babies of mothers with HIV will test positive for HIV antibodies at first. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that the baby in infected with HIV because babies keep their mother's antibodies until they are able to produce their own at the age of 6 to 18 months of life. If a baby is not infected with HIV they will first test positive for HIV and then begin to test negative for this antibody between the ages of 6 to 18 months. On the other hand, if a baby is infected with HIV they will first test positive and continue to test positive for HIV after 6 to 18 months of age. They have other blood tests available to confirm positive HIV tests in babies after their 6 to 18 months of life. It is determined through these tests whether babies were infected during their first 6 months of age.

Summary:

Mothers may have many questions when it comes to HIV. Some may even think of ending their pregnancy if they are HIV positive, with fears of transmitting this virus to their unborn child. However, this concern should be discussed with their physician because there are medications that decrease the chance of transmitting this virus to the unborn child. Also, mothers have a lower chance of transmitting HIV to their baby if they deliver by casearean (C-Section) delivery, and bottle feeding can replace breast feeding in mothers who are HIV infected.

Any questions and/or concerns about HIV can be addressed with your doctor, the local health department, and the National HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service. The terms HIV and AIDS may put fear in the hearts of many mothers. However, we all know that fear is our worse enemy in life. Therefore, mothers who have concerns should seek the knowledge that is available on HIV and AIDS.