There are only a few diseases that can be given to a baby in the womb (toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and syphilis). The AIDS virus is another one of those diseases that can spread to a baby in the womb before birth. The virus can also be transmitted to the baby during birth, or shortly after birth.
In 1994 a study conducted by the United States' National Institutes of Health (Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol 076) found that the transmission of the AIDS virus from the mother to the baby could be reduced if the mother took an anti-AIDS drug called zidovudine (ZDV also called AZT). Normally, without treatment, 25 out of 100 AIDS virus infected mothers will transmit the virus to their babies. However, if the mother took AZT during the pregnancy and delivery, and if the child was given AZT for a time after birth, the chances of transmitting the virus went down drastically. Only 8 out of 100 AIDS virus-infected mothers transmitted the virus to their babies when they were treated with AZT.
If you are pregnant it may be a good idea to have yourself tested for the AIDS virus infection. Now you can decrease the chances of your baby being infected. Ask your physician and they can give you more information on this treatment and testing for the AIDS virus. For some current findings from the Centers for Disease Control's go to their news section and the CDC's National AIDS Clearinghouse.
Take Care and Think Microbiologically!
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