E-Paper
Call to save child from HIV infection
"The number of children suffering from HIV has increased during the past few years. Most of them got the infection through their HIV positive mother. But with proper medical intervention, counselling and treatment during pregnancy, the risk of passing HIV infection from mother to child cuts down to 50-60 per cent. There is an urgent need to save our next generation from falling victim to the HIV virus," said Prof Ragini Mehrotra .
Check-up during pregnancy reduces the risk by 60 pc
"The number of children suffering from HIV has increased during the past few years. Most of them got the infection through their HIV positive mother. But with proper medical intervention, counselling and treatment during pregnancy, the risk of passing HIV infection from mother to child cuts down to 50-60 per cent. There is an urgent need to save our next generation from falling victim to the HIV virus," said Prof Ragini Mehrotra, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology MLN Medical College and Nodal Officer, Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission of HIV (PPTCT) Centre.
She was addressing the PPTCT training workshop for gynaecologists, paediatricians and staff nurses posted at the district hospitals, here on Friday.
Prof Mehrotra said the PPTCT centre at the Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital counsel the pregnant women to get their HIV tests done. "In case a lady is found HIV positive, she is advised for institutional or hospital delivery. In second stage of treatment the medicines are given to women at the time of labour so that the transmission does not take place in a new born baby," she informed.
Prof Mehrotra said regular follow-up and other treatment was given to HIV positive mother and her child at the PPTCT. When the child becomes one-and-a-half year old, HIV test is done to see whether he is infected with HIV virus or not. "The risk of mother to child HIV transmission cuts down to 50-60 per cent, if proper treatment is provided," she added.
Head of Microbiology Department MLN Medical College, Dr Anudita Bhargava said the UP State AIDS Control Society has decided to set up 99 PPTCT centres at medical colleges and district hospitals, with an objective to bring down HIV transmission rate from mother to child. In the first phase, the PPTCT centres were opened at all the seven medical colleges in UP, including the MLN Medical College. "In the second phase, the gynaecologists and paediatricians are being trained to manage PPTCT centres at the district hospitals. The basic idea is to counsel pregnant women to undergo HIV test and provide proper treatment and follow-ups, in case she tests HIV positive," she added.
Paediatrician Dr DK Singh discussed the precautions need to be taken by HIV mothers before breast feeding her child.
The gynaecologists and paediatricians of Hamirpur, Fatehpur and Pratapgarh attended the workshop.
