What treatments are available for congenital HIV infection?
In recent years, much has been learned about the treatment and prevention of HIV infection, particularly for pregnant women. A recent study showed that drug treatment during pregnancy can greatly reduce the risk that an HIV-infected mother will pass the virus on to her child. In addition to drug therapy, other steps can be taken. A woman with HIV may reduce the risk of infecting her baby by opting for a cesarean birth, before natural labor begins and her membranes have ruptured. Also, if a woman and her doctor are aware of her HIV status during pregnancy, certain precautions can be taken during prenatal care to reduce the risk of the infection being transmitted to the baby. The doctor may avoid certain procedures that would increase exposure of the fetus to the mother’s blood, such as amniocentesis. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that a baby born to an HIV-infected mother be treated with certain drugs in the early weeks of life as a precaution against life-threatening
