Each day 1,800 infants contract HIV from their mothers during pregnancy through the placenta, during birth as the child is exposed to various bodily fluids, and after birth through breastfeeding.
Whilst these are all ways in which HIV can be transmitted, this doesn’t have to be the way it is, this statistic is completely avoidable.
How can MTCT be prevented?
Effective prevention needs a much wider plan to include education and awareness of HIV and how it’s transmitted, but anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) can be used to lower the risk of transmission. If the mother is living with HIV it is advised to start taking ARVs immediately and then the child will receive treatment after birth to lower the risk even further.