Only 21 babies of 1000 HIV+ moms affected

Mumbai: Right To Information application replies from the state heath authorities have revealed that of the 1,000 babies born to HIV positive mothers in 2014-16, only 21 babies were found to be HIV positive. According to the authorities, this was made possible with the help of the three drug therapies given to expectant mothers, ensuring that the virus was not transmitted from the mother to the baby.

In the last two years, from 2014 to 2016, more than 1,000 HIV positive expectant mothers gave birth to more than 1,000 babies who were found to be HIV negative and only 21 were found to be HIV positive.

According to the doctors, patients are tested and monitored every six months to keep track of the extent of the spread of the virus (the viral load) in the body. In addition to this, they are given regular counselling as well. This is done to determine if the patient should be put on a third line Antiretroviral treatment (ART) from the second line ART. In case, the viral load is found to be above 10,000 copies/ML, the patient is immediately given the third line ART.

HIV diagnosis in adults is done as per strategy III of National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) guidelines. Dr. Shrilakha Acharya, director, Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS), said, ““According to the guidelines, the samples are first tested by the first test (which could be Rapid, Simple or ELISA). If the sample is found to be reactive, it is retested by the 2nd and 3rd test (which could be Rapid, Simple or ELlSA test with a different principle or antigen). Only if all three tests are reactive is the sample considered positive for HIV antibodies.”

The HIV exposed baby is initiated given a medicine called Co-trimoxazole prophylaxis at the age of six weeks and then the baby is tested for HIV DNA-PCR by the method of dry blood spot collection.