| Abstract: | Vertical HIV transmission from mother to child is almost entirely preventable with prenatal screening and treatment, but most of the 15,000 infected children in the United States were infected by their mothers. Of those, many will die before they reach the age of 13. Clinicians are calling for universal HIV testing for pregnant women and the administration of antiretroviral treatment either during labor or soon after the baby's birth. Even with universal testing and treatment, there will still be some instances of breakthrough transmission, but the rate of infection for babies would be much lower. A chart shows the percentage of mothers, arranged by states, who discussed HIV testing with their health care provider. Rapid testing in combination with Zidovudine (AZT) treatment has lowered HIV transmission rates by 38 percent in breast-feeding populations and 50 percent in non-breast-feeding populations. The benefits of Nevirapine therapy are discussed. |
