Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of the most dangerous human viruses. It affects the immune system depriving it of the ability to defend the body from various infections. Diseases that under normal circumstances are hardly noticeable become severe in HIV-infected individuals.Prevention of HIV vertical transmission (PMTCT) is a set of measures for preventing transmission of HIV from the HIV-infected woman to the fetus or the baby during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding.
The child may be infected with HIV from its mother during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. This is why, for timely diagnosis of possible infection, healthcare workers offer HIV testing to all pregnant women. This is important for carrying out a number of activities in order to protect the fetus and the baby from HIV. If this prophylactic treatment starts in the early term of pregnancy, the likelihood that a healthy baby will be born to the HIV-infected woman is very high. In addition to the use of medications, doctors are eager to interrupt all possible modes of infection transmission from the pregnant woman to the newborn infant. Unless there are contradictions, the baby is mainly delivered through C-section and the mother is strongly recommended not to breastfeed.
The basis of prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission is pre- and post-test counseling.