Transmission of AIDS can occur during pregnancy, childbirth or lactation, so what the pregnant HIV-positive should do to prevent the baby from becoming infected includes taking medications indicated by the doctor, caesarean section and not breastfeeding the baby.
Here’s some useful information about prenatal care and childbirth for HIV-positive women.
- Prenatal care for HIV-positive pregnant women is somewhat different and requires more attention.
- In addition to tests that are normally done during pregnancy.
- Your doctor may prescribe:.
These tests are important because they assist in the evaluation, staging and indication of the antiretroviral regimen and can be performed in reference centers for the treatment of AIDS. In patients diagnosed with HIV before pregnancy, these tests should be prescribed as needed.
All invasive procedures, such as amniocentesis and coral villosities biopsy, are contraindicated because they increase the risk of infecting the baby and therefore, in case of suspected fetal malformation, ultrasound and blood tests are most appropriate.
Vaccines that can be given to HIV-positive pregnant women include
The triple viral vaccine is contracted during pregnancy and yellow fever is not indicated, although it can be given during the last trimester, in case of extreme need.
If the pregnant woman is not already taking anti-HIV medications, she should start taking them between 14 and 28 weeks gestation, taking 3 oral remedies. The most common drug used to treat AIDS during pregnancy is AZT, which reduces the risk of infection.
When a woman has a high viral load and a low amount of CD4, treatment should not be continued after childbirth, to prevent a woman from developing serious infections, such as pneumonia, meningitis or tuberculosis.
Side effects caused by AIDS medications in women during pregnancy include red blood cell reduction, severe anemia and liver failure. In addition, there may be an increased risk of insulin resistance, nausea, abdominal pain, insomnia, headaches and other symptoms that should be reported to the doctor for the antiretroviral regimen to be monitored, as in some cases it may be necessary. to modify the drug mix.
The drugs do not appear to negatively affect babies, although there are reports of low birth weight or premature babies, but that could not be related to the mother’s use of medications.
Delivery of pregnant women with AIDS should be performed by elective C-section at 38 weeks gestation, so that AZT can circulate in the patient’s vein at least 4 hours before the baby is born, thereby reducing the risk of vertical transmission of HIV to the fetus.
After giving birth to the pregnant women with AIDS, the baby should take AZT for 6 weeks and lactation is contrasted and a milk powder formula should be used.
To find out if the baby has been infected with the HIV virus, three blood tests should be done. The first must have between 14 and 21 days of life, the second between the 1st and 2nd month of life and the third between the 4th and 6th month of life.
Diagnosis of AIDS in infants is confirmed when there are 2 blood tests with an HIV-positive test. See what the symptoms of HIV in your baby may be.
The SUS provides free AIDS medicines and formulas for the newborn.