how is it possible for an HIV positive pregnant woman to give birth to an HIV negative baby?

Answer 1

Major advances have been made in the understanding of mother-to-child HIV transmission (sometimes called vertical or perinatal transmission). New information has made it more likely for women living with HIV to give birth to healthy, HIV-uninfected babies. With good prenatal care, the use of anti-HIV therapy and comprehensive health care programs, transmission rates have decreased dramatically.
Having a baby is a very personal decision, as is the way a woman chooses to proceed with her pregnancy. While this may vary from woman to woman, a comprehensive strategy to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission is made up of four basic building blocks:

Good prenatal care

A comprehensive anti-HIV strategy

A plan for delivery of the baby

A decision about breast-feeding
Perhaps the most important building block is good prenatal care. The importance of receiving good and early prenatal care cannot be overstated. This discussion paper talks a lot about prenatal care and describes what should (and should not) be included for women living with HIV.
The second building block, developing an anti-HIV strategy, may (or may not) include using anti-HIV therapies that decrease the rate of vertical HIV transmission.

The third block requires thoughtful planning about what to do when it's time to deliver the baby (e.g. vaginal delivery vs. elective C-section). Certain kinds of C-sections have been associated with decreased transmission rates. The benefits of C-section need to be considered against its potential risks.

The final building block calls for a decision about whether or not to breast-feed the child after delivery. HIV can be transmitted through breast milk. The most recent information suggests that the risk of HIV transmission from breast-feeding is highest in the early months after birth. Where safe alternatives to breast-feeding are available, women are advised not to breast-feed their children.

This discussion paper guides future and expectant moms through these four areas. It also describes additional care issues for the mother, including the development of a strategy to treat and prevent opportunistic infections during pregnancy. Finally, developing a comprehensive prevention strategy may also be gained by better understanding the factors that influence vertical HIV transmission. The main factors associated with vertical transmission and strategies to lower the risk of transmission are also highlighted.

A note about the structure of this discussion paper: if you've recently found out you're HIV-positive, pregnant or both, you may already feel pretty overwhelmed. You may find all this information a little difficult to get through, especially if you try to take it in all at once. To ease this concern, the document places the most basic and time-sensitive information up front, with supportive and extending materials later. You can read what you want at your own pace and according to your own needs. You might just read one section at a time. We recommend you start with the section on prenatal care. When you're ready, move on to the next section. The material will always be here when you're ready to read more.




Basics on HIV and Pregnancy
Many women are concerned about the burden that pregnancy may place on their bodies and the effect it may have on HIV disease. However, there's no evidence that pregnancy, by itself, will change the course of HIV disease. It will not speed up the rate at which HIV disease progresses.
Similarly, HIV infection doesn't appear to change the way a pregnancy normally proceeds. Severe complications to the mother's and the unborn baby's health can occur if the mother has an HIV-related opportunistic infection, such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). As with non-pregnant women, the risks of developing opportunistic infections increase when CD4+ cell counts fall below 200. Therefore, every effort to prevent infections during pregnancy should be made. For more information about the prevention of opportunistic infections, see OI Prevention and Treatment in this document.

Finally, HIV does not appear to affect the development of the unborn child. In fact, the main danger that HIV poses during pregnancy is the risk of infecting the baby. That risk can be greatly reduced by including a variety of HIV transmission risk-reduction strategies into your pregnancy.

Other Things to Avoid During Pregnancy
In addition to avoiding drugs and alcohol, pregnant women should not eat uncooked or undercooked meat. Such meat can cause a number of diseases as well as toxoplasmosis, a serious infection often faced by people with advanced HIV disease. Cat feces can also cause this infection, so pregnant women should avoid contact with cat litter boxes, especially if the cat ever goes outdoors. For more information on toxoplasmosis and the prevention of other infections, see below.
Because body temperature should not run high during pregnancy, women should avoid hot tubs, saunas or exposure to illnesses that can cause fevers. Also, the body should never become weak or overheated due to exercise. While you exercise, make sure you can speak comfortably.

Doctors urge heavy caffeine drinkers to cut back during pregnancy. This includes coffee and tea as well as soft drinks and herbal preparations that contain caffeine. Finally, all medications, even over-the-counter drugs, should be monitored for safety during pregnancy.




Domestic Violence During Pregnancy
About one quarter of women seeking prenatal care report having been abused by their partners. Some studies estimate the prevalence of abuse during pregnancy to be nearly 20 percent. Specialists estimate that the rate of abuse among pregnant HIV-positive women may be even higher, particularly among young women.
Abused women suffer greatly, as do their babies. Expectant mothers are at increased risk for poor weight gain, infection, bleeding, anemia and substance abuse during pregnancy compared to women who are not abused. Many abused women do not access prenatal care, and those who do more likely seek it in the third trimester, after complications may have already arisen. Babies born to abused women are more likely to be low birth weight and premature. They are also more likely to be abused as children.

No woman deserves to be hurt. While not every woman can leave her abuser immediately, every woman can take safety measures. Talking with somebody you trust -- a friend or a health care provider -- can be an important first step. Preparing an "emergency kit" in case you have to leave suddenly is important. This should include medications, money, important papers and an extra set of clothes. Most importantly, remember that help is available (see the Resource Guide).




Just Found Out You're Positive and Pregnant?
Testing positive for HIV while pregnant can be overwhelming. Not only do you have to think about your own HIV and general health, but you've also got to think about the health of your child. This can feel paralyzing, particularly when there are only a few months until the baby is born.
Many decisions you'll need to make regarding how to best proceed with your pregnancy (including decisions around anti-HIV therapy) depend on how long you've been pregnant. Therefore, women diagnosed with HIV when they're pregnant need a thorough examination and prenatal care as soon as possible.

Take a moment, if you can, to reflect about where you go for support, and choose your support carefully. Even though it's unfair and irrational, some people may withdraw from you after you tell them you're HIV-positive. Others may pressure you to terminate your pregnancy or even pressure you to have the child. While you do need to make a decision, you don't have to make that decision hastily. Take time to determine what that decision is and find the support you need to talk it through and make it happen.

Remember, there is no one right decision for everyone, only the decision that's right for you.




What Will Other People Think?
If you're thinking about getting pregnant or are already pregnant, it's likely that you may confront people who think that what you're doing is too risky, unfair or simply wrong. These concerns might even be raised by friends or family members. Remember, they are exposed to misinformation through media and people they know. From time to time, you may even question these things yourself. Yet, the choice of whether or not to have a child is a very personal one, and this does not change when you have HIV.
While there's no absolute way of preventing mother-to-child transmission, plenty of information exists these days to help you minimize the risk. It's not unusual that women living with HIV are sometimes even more knowledgeable about these things than their own doctors. With the right information and good access to care, the risk can be very low.

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Answer 2

Without any drugs, the baby born by a mother w/ HIV has an 85% chance of contracting the virus; the baby has its own blood supply and blood type. With advancements in medication, doctors can reduce the chance of the baby being born w/ HIV significantly.

Answer 3

Because there is only a certain % of a chance that it will get passed on to the baby. Also if the midwife knows that the mother is HIV positive there are things they can do to lower the chances further of it being passed to the baby.

Answer 4

I actually only seen a programme about this recently and from what i can remember the mother gets injections every couple of weeks into the womb with medication to prevent the virus spreading into the baby the baby has its own blood supply etc, then also the mother does not give birth naturally they deliver the baby through c section as this has a lesser possiblity of infected blood being contracted during birth. the % rate of success is like 80% which is fantastic, hands up to the doctors who made this possible.

Answer 5

Yes it is. The doctors keep a close eye during the birth to make sure that there isnt much chance of the virus being passed on. I think HIV positive women are advised not to breast feed though. Check with your local health centre or family planning they will be able advise you better.

Answer 6

When I was in hospital there was a HIV mother and her baby was luck enough not to get HIV. The mother did have a c-section so im not sure if this had any thing to do with it. This is a good question. xx

Answer 7

Once the medical staff have tested you and found that you have HIV they are then able to give you an injection that has some medicine in it, which stops the discease from being passed onto the baby through the placenta.

This is also the case with Hepatitis.

Answer 8

i did see something on discovery(or something like that) that talked about giving the hiv + mothers some kind of shots so that the baby would be less likely to contract it. I just found an article. it says the chances of the baby contracting it is 25%, but if she takes certain medication, the percentage can go down to 2%. That's why prenatal care is so important they do test for std's during the very first set of tests, and will treat you during pregnancy and labor so that the baby is less likely to be born with those std's. here's the link to the article:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/65/72675.htm

Answer 9

Personally everybody I know that has had this baby has always
been HIV too! I was always told that the blood and fluid the
baby need in utaro is contaminated already. But I'm not a doc
and I only go by what I have been told. Good Luck, I would
call your gynie up and ask.

Answer 10

only 25% of babies born to HIV mothers get HIV.

I can't biologically explain why this percentage is not higher...you would think they would be sharing a lot of body fluids through the umbilical cord.

Answer 11

i think its hardly possible.but if the hiv cells donot affect the foetus then d child can be hiv negative.
its better u tlk to some expert.