Preventing Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT)
In addition to preventing HIV infection among parents and avoiding unwanted pregnancies, PMTCT aims to prevent the transmission of HIV from positive mothers to their infants. An HIV positive mother can pass on the virus to her baby in the womb, during childbirth, or through breastfeeding. To prevent passing on the virus, a number of steps need to be taken; antiretroviral drugs such as nevirapine are given before and after birth, birth by cesarean section reduces the risk of transmission during childbirth, and postnatal practices such as providing formula as an alternative to breastfeeding are encouraged.
Although mother to child transmission has been virtually eliminated in high-income countries, tens of thousands of infections are occurring each year in developing countries because of lack of testing, counseling, drugs, and access to breastfeeding alternatives coupled with access to clean water to mix formula.
Elements of PMTCT include:
- Ante-natal care
- Administration of nevirapine before and after birth
- Elective cesarean section
- Formula feeding as an alternative to breastfeeding where clean water supplies are available
Source: UNAIDS