One in every four or five babies born to women living with HIV will be infected with HIV. The risk is higher if the birth is long and difficult. All pregnant women should receive ante-natal care if possible.
A woman who discovers she has HIV while she is pregnant must take very good care of her health. In many countries drugs known as anti-retrovirals are given to pregnant women to reduce the risk of the baby being born with HIV. A woman who already knows she has HIV must consider her choices very care-fully before becoming pregnant. If she has a baby her own health is likely to suffer, and she may develop AIDS more quickly. She is more likely to have health problems during pregnancy. In addition her baby, even if free of the virus, will grow up without a mother in later life.
Breast-feeding can also pass on HIV to the baby. However, the benefits of breast-feeding are so great that it is usually recommended to breast-feed the baby for five to six months and then to stop completely. During these first five to six months it is recommended that the baby is given no other food or drink except breastmilk. The risk of the virus being passed on is then greatly reduced.
Discussion
- What should a couple consider before deciding whether to have a baby, if they already know the woman has HIV?
- Are all women in our area tested for HIV when they attend health checks during pregnancy? What kind of advice and support are they given if they are told they have HIV? What kind of support could we give to them?
- Are anti-retroviral drugs available free of charge or at low cost in our country? If not, how could we put pressure on the government and health services to make them available?
- What safe alternatives to breast-feeding are available? Could another woman who is not living with HIV breast-feed the baby? Are breastmilk substitutes available at low cost?
- The risk of infection from breast-feeding for up to six months is that one in every 20 babies is likely to become infected with HIV. However, if additional water or food is given or if the mother’s nipples become cracked or bleed, the risk of infection increases. How can mothers prevent their babies being given additional water or food? How can they take care to protect their nipples from damage? What should they do if this happens?
- If breast-feeding is not possible, young babies should be fed with breastmilk substitutes from a cup rather than a bottle or spoon. This is because a cup is much easier to clean than a bottle and a baby will get more milk than by using a spoon. Does anyone have any experience of how to do this? Who could help with advice?
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