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Having good prenatal care is obviously very important for the health of the baby and also for the mother-to-be. This is especially true if the mother has an infection with HIV, the AIDS virus. If an infected woman is carrying a child, there is a chance that the baby can be infected also. This happens during the time that the baby is being born. The baby’s naturally wet skin in the eyes, nose and mouth gets exposed to infected blood from the mother. Without treatment, the baby has about a 35 percent chance of getting AIDS if the mother is infected with the AIDS virus.

If the mother takes a virus-reducing medicine, then the amount of virus in her blood will be reduced. When this happens, there is less chance that the baby will be infected. The chance can be as low as 8 percent. This is much better odds for the baby. The mother-to-be should start getting the medication at least three months before the baby is due. If a mother-to-be suspects that she may have been exposed to AIDS, she should talk to her doctor about it. For her own sake, as well as for the baby.

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