Do Kids Get Aids from Hiv Parents: A child can be born safe from AIDS even if he has HIV positive parents. With proper ART treatment, low viral load and doctor’s guidance, the risk of infection during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding is almost eliminated.
hiv parent to child facts: It is very important to know that having HIV positive parents does not mean that the child will also get AIDS. In today’s time, medical science has advanced so much that with proper treatment, caution and timely testing, the child can be completely protected from infection. If a couple has HIV at home, then people think that their children will definitely have HIV, due to which fear, misunderstandings and incomplete information often prevail, hence it is important to understand how HIV spreads, when there is a danger and how it can be prevented.
Can a child get HIV from HIV positive parents?
HIV can only be passed to the baby if the mother is HIV positive and the virus is not controlled during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding. The father being HIV positive does not directly cause infection to the child, because the infection occurs only during pregnancy or at the time of birth. Today, due to antiretroviral therapy (ART), the viral load in the mother’s body can be reduced to such an extent that the risk of infection remains almost negligible. If the mother starts ART before or in the early months of pregnancy, follows the doctor’s instructions and gets regular checkups, the baby may be born HIV-negative. There are millions of examples in many countries where perfectly healthy babies are born to HIV positive mothers.
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When does the risk of HIV infection increase in a child?
The risk increases only if the mother’s HIV is uncontrolled, ART is not taken and care during pregnancy is not appropriate. In such a situation, the virus can reach the child through the placenta. Even at the time of birth, when there is contact with the mother’s body to the child, there is a risk of infection. Breastfeeding can also become a medium of infection if the mother’s viral load is high. But with proper treatment, the viral load reaches “undetectable” levels, almost eliminating the risk of infection. Doctors usually give prophylactic medicine to the newborn for some time, so that the child remains completely safe.
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Can HIV positive parents also plan to have a healthy child?
Absolutely can. It is completely possible to prevent infection by starting ART, keeping the viral load low, getting regular pregnancy tests done and following the doctor’s guidance. HIV is now a controllable condition, and science has made it a disease that can be prevented and managed. Therefore, HIV positive parents can also plan to have a safe, healthy and HIV-negative child without any fear.