these medicines, the baby has a 1 in 4 chance of being born with HIV. To get the most benefit from these medicines:
• Pregnant women with HIV should talk to their doctor as early as possible in
the pregnancy about when to start taking HIV medicines. It is important to take the right doses at the right time, every day.
• Pregnant women with HIV should also take medicine while in labor and
delivery, regardless of what HIV medicines they took during pregnancy. Pregnant women should plan, with their doctor, to come to the hospital early in labor so that there is enough time to take medicine before the baby is born.
• The baby of a woman with HIV should start taking medicine right after birth,
whether or not the mother took HIV medicines.
In scientific studies, when some women with HIV had a C-section (cesarean section) before labor started, the chance of passing HIV to their babies was reduced by one half. Women with very high viral loads who have not taken HIV medicines are more likely than women with very low viral loads to benefit from a C-section delivery. HIV can also be passed through breast milk. If a woman with HIV breastfeeds her baby, the baby has a higher risk of getting infected. Since there are many safe alternatives to breastfeeding, women with HIV are advised not to breastfeed their babies.
