AIDS drugs block 99pc of HIV transmission to breastfed babies
June 17th, 2010 - 1:54 pm ICT by ANILondon, June 17 (ANI): AIDS-fighting antiretroviral drug combinations given to pregnant and breastfeeding women in Botswana, Africa, prevented 99 percent of the mothers from transmitting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to their infants, scientists found.
The result came from an international clinical trial led by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).
“This is the lowest rate of mother-to-child transmission recorded in a study from Africa, or among breastfeeding infants,” said lead author Roger Shapiro, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health.
The mother-to-child transmission rate in the study was 1.1 percent when the infants were breastfed to age 6 months.
“Previous interventions using shorter or less comprehensive drug treatment regimens have been unable to get rates below 5 percent, and without any intervention, the infection rate would be at least 25 percent by 6 months,” said Shapiro.
The study was also the first randomized clinical trial to compare highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens used during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
The article appears in the June 17 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine. (ANI)
- Maternal HAART cuts postnatal HIV transmission risk - Nov 28, 2009
- HAART may help reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission - Aug 02, 2009
- 6-month drug regimen 'reduces HIV risk for breastfeeding infants' - Mar 03, 2011
- New HIV/AIDS study could turn treatment 'on its head' - Mar 04, 2011
- Vitamin A makes breastfeeding with HIV more risky: Study - Aug 27, 2010
- HIV-1 treatment during pregnancy can prevent transmission to newborns - Oct 17, 2009
- HIV drug given to protect foetus should be avoided after childbirth for 1yr - Feb 26, 2010
- Babies insufficiently breastfed, finds study - May 02, 2011
- Daily antiretroviral therapy may prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission - Jul 23, 2009
- Many pregnant African women avoid HIV screening - Nov 20, 2009
- Longer breastfeeding protects kids born to HIV-infected mums - Jan 15, 2010
- Epilepsy drugs don't harm IQ of breastfed babies: Study - Nov 25, 2010
- Intermittent drug treatment 'can curb malaria' - Feb 02, 2011
- A quiet revolution saving rural children's lives (Aug 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week) - Jul 31, 2011
- 'Paediatric HIV care should be integral to health programmes' - Nov 30, 2009
Tags: active antiretroviral therapy, aids drugs, botswana africa, breastfed babies, breastfeeding women, child transmission, drug combinations, england journal of medicine, harvard medical school, harvard school of public health, hiv transmission, human immunodeficiency virus, immunodeficiency virus hiv, journal of medicine, new england journal, new england journal of medicine, randomized clinical trial, school of public health, transmission rate, treatment regimens