HIV is the so-called subspecies of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Currently, the number of HIV-infected women of childbearing age is growing significantly. The disease most often occurs asymptomatically, or it is confused with a common cold. Often, the future mother will find out about her illness, giving in the women's consultation a planned HIV test. This news, of course, pushes the ground from under your feet. There are many fears: whether the child will get infected, whether he will not remain an orphan, what others will say. However, the correct behavior of the pregnant woman, as well as the latest developments in medicine, make it possible to prevent the child from getting infected from the mother.
Diagnosis of HIV in pregnant women
Laboratory HIV testing for women in the condition is carried out 2-3 times for the entire duration of pregnancy. To hand over this analysis is necessary for every future mother. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the more opportunities for the birth of a healthy child.
Most often, women are given immunoassay for HIV during pregnancy. Blood is taken from the vein, in the serum of which antibodies to infection are determined. This study can give false positive and false negative results. False positive HIV during pregnancy occurs in women who have a history of chronic diseases. False negative result of immunoassay is possible with a recent infection, when the body has not yet developed antibodies to HIV.
But if the analysis of a woman for HIV is positive in pregnancy, more detailed studies are being performed to clarify the degree of immunity damage and the form of the disease.
Pregnancy and HIV infection
Infection of a child from an infected mother is possible in 20-40% in the absence of medication. There are three ways of transmission of HIV infection:
- Through the placenta during pregnancy. If it is damaged or inflamed, the protective function of the placenta is impaired.
- The most frequent way of transmission of HIV infection is during passage through the mother's birth canal. At this time, the newborn can contact the mother's blood or vaginal secretion. However, a cesarean section is not an absolute guarantee of the birth of a healthy child.
- Through breast milk after childbirth. An HIV-infected mother will have to give up breastfeeding.
There are factors that increase the possibility of HIV transmission during pregnancy to the child. These include a high level of the virus in the blood (when infected shortly before conception, a severe stage of the disease), smoking, drugs, unprotected sex acts, as well as the condition of the fetus itself (immaturity of the immune system).
HIV infection in pregnant women does not affect the outcome of pregnancy itself. However complications are possible at a serious stage of the disease - AIDS, and pregnancy can result in stillbirth, premature birth due to rupture of membranes and outflow of amniotic fluid. Quite often a child is born with a low mass.
Treatment of HIV in pregnancy
When HIV is detected, pregnant women are prescribed treatment, but not to improve the condition of the woman, but to reduce the possibility of infection of the fetus. Since the beginning of the second semester, one of the drugs prescribed for future mothers is zidovudine or azidothymidine. The drug is taken throughout the pregnancy and during childbirth including. The same drug is given to a newborn on the first day of his life, but in the form of a syrup. Cesarean section will reduce the chances of HIV transmission in 2 times. With natural delivery, doctors avoid the incision of the perineum or puncture of the bladder, and the birth canal of a woman is constantly treated with disinfectants. HIV during pregnancy is not yet a sentence. However, the future mother must take responsibility for prescribing doctors to prevent infection of the child.