How does a mother give HIV to her baby?
HIV can be transmitted from the mother to the baby ONLY if the mother is infected with HIV. There are several possible ways to transmit HIV from an infected mother to her baby. It could occur at the time of natural delivery as the baby passes through the birth canal. It could also occur during the last trimester of pregnancy if there is a mixing of mother and fetal blood (normally the two blood systems are separate and do not mix). A third possible way is during an Amniocentesis. Another possible way is through breast-feeding her child after birth.
