Contents:
- Medical Video: Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV by Rana Chakraborty for OPENPediatrics
- HIV / AIDS transmission can be unexpected
- Direct contact is the main cause
- Is it possible to prevent the transmission of the HIV virus from parents to children?
Medical Video: Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV by Rana Chakraborty for OPENPediatrics
Women who have HIV positive are very likely to transmit this virus to the baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or when breastfeeding the little one. Mothers are often mentioned as the cause of HIV / AIDS transmission to the baby. However, in fact this virus can also be transmitted to babies from the father, even though the mother is not infected with HIV at all.
It's strange and rare, but it's not impossible. A study proved that the baby contracted HIV due to his father's HIV positive, while his mother was clear of infection with this disease.
HIV / AIDS transmission can be unexpected
During this time, factors of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding are predicted as intermediaries for the transmission of HIV / AIDS from mothers in newborns. But now, this is no longer the only cause of a newborn being diagnosed with HIV.
The baby can get HIV / AIDS from his father directly, even though the mother is clean and not infected with this virus. This fact is contained in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. The results of these studies indicate that a father apparently also has the opportunity to transmit the HIV virus to his newborn baby, although it is spelled out very rarely.
Thomas Hope, as editor in chief of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, urged the entire community to begin to realize that people who have contracted the HIV virus can easily transmit the disease - especially from fluids in the body. Whether it's blood, semen (sperm), prejaculation fluid, rectum fluid, vaginal fluid, and breast milk (ASI).
In short, when fluid coming from the body of a person with HIV enters your body, it means you are at risk of being infected with HIV. Most cases of HIV transmission can occur in any way, even the unexpected ones.
Direct contact is the main cause
After further investigation, it turns out there is indeed a specific cause behind HIV / AIDS transmission from father to baby. Because, not long after the baby was born, the father tested positive for HIV. While at the same time, the man is regularly undergoing treatment for chickenpox and syphilis.
The researchers concluded that the HIV suffered by the newborn baby began when he came in direct contact with fluids originating from chicken pox and father's syphilis. The liquid is suspected of having the HIV virus and is very easy to spread.
The researchers said that the father had a fairly high HIV virus in his body, so that fluid from chickenpox wounds could also contain the virus. They also stated that transmission of HIV / AIDS to the child occurs when the child is exposed to the wound fluid of the father.
Nuno Taveira, one of the lecturers from the University of Lisbon's Research Institute for Medicines, reiterated that the HIV virus easily moves from the blisters of broken HIV sufferers. Even so, not all blisters risk transmitting the HIV virus. Because usually, the HIV virus only exists in blister fluids which are classified as dangerous levels.
Is it possible to prevent the transmission of the HIV virus from parents to children?
HIV disease that is inherited from parents, both father and mother, on his baby sounds dangerous. But at least, there are a number of things you can try to minimize transmission of HIV / AIDS to children. If you are pregnant and diagnosed as HIV positive, the doctor will recommend various treatments that you should routinely undergo.
Properly done treatment during pregnancy may reduce the severity of HIV in the body, thereby reducing the risk of transmission of the virus to the baby. Not only stops during pregnancy, during labor and breastfeeding, you still have to take special care to prevent the spread of the HIV virus to your child.
Generally there are two alternatives that can be chosen during labor, namely by normal vaginal delivery or caesarean delivery. If the doctor estimates that the risk that the baby has is large enough to be infected with HIV, then caesarean delivery is the right choice.
Similarly, if you and your partner have a dangerous infectious disease, such as HIV, syphilis, herpes, and so on. As much as possible, limit direct contact with your newborn for a while until your condition starts to improve.
In essence, be more careful with every treatment you give to your little one. Talk to your doctor immediately if your baby shows symptoms and unusual health conditions later on.
