CAN A HIV POSITIVE WOMAN HAVE CHILDREN?
Yes, a HIV positive woman can have children. The pregnant HIV positive woman has a 60% chance of delivering a HIV negative child even with no medical intervention. The chance of her delivering a HIV positive child is 40%. This can now be reduced to a 2% chance of delivering a HIV positive child with medical intervention during the last three months of pregnancy, during labor and delivery and by making the right infant feeding choices for the baby.
• Drugs are available to prevent the child from getting HIV infection from the HIV infected mother and are given to the HIV positive pregnant mother after blood and urine tests during the last three months of pregnancy.
• The parents are also counseled regarding the type of delivery and its cost, and allowed to make a choice. A planned cesarean operation for the mother about two weeks before the due date is ideal to extract the baby without the baby coming into contact with vaginal secretions and fluids during the course of normal vaginal delivery. This is preferred when afforded, especially when the mother has had no treatment with drugs during pregnancy.
• The mother is also counseled regarding infant feeding choices. If she can afford to give clean, artificial milk feeds without using a feeding bottle, this is the best option. However, in the absence of clean water and lack of money for formula feeds or animal milk, the mother may give only breast feeds for three months and then wean the baby abruptly to weaning foods and animal milk. The worst option is to give both breast feeds and artificial feeds alternatively at the same time, as mixed feeds irritate and inflame the baby's intestines making it more easy for the HIV present in the mother's milk to infect the baby.
Yes, a HIV positive woman can have children. The pregnant HIV positive woman has a 60% chance of delivering a HIV negative child even with no medical intervention. The chance of her delivering a HIV positive child is 40%. This can now be reduced to a 2% chance of delivering a HIV positive child with medical intervention during the last three months of pregnancy, during labor and delivery and by making the right infant feeding choices for the baby.
• Drugs are available to prevent the child from getting HIV infection from the HIV infected mother and are given to the HIV positive pregnant mother after blood and urine tests during the last three months of pregnancy.
• The parents are also counseled regarding the type of delivery and its cost, and allowed to make a choice. A planned cesarean operation for the mother about two weeks before the due date is ideal to extract the baby without the baby coming into contact with vaginal secretions and fluids during the course of normal vaginal delivery. This is preferred when afforded, especially when the mother has had no treatment with drugs during pregnancy.
• The mother is also counseled regarding infant feeding choices. If she can afford to give clean, artificial milk feeds without using a feeding bottle, this is the best option. However, in the absence of clean water and lack of money for formula feeds or animal milk, the mother may give only breast feeds for three months and then wean the baby abruptly to weaning foods and animal milk. The worst option is to give both breast feeds and artificial feeds alternatively at the same time, as mixed feeds irritate and inflame the baby's intestines making it more easy for the HIV present in the mother's milk to infect the baby.
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