The Reality Of Babies Living With HIV And AIDS
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The unfortunate reality is that HIV and AIDS are indifferent to the ages of victims. Many infants globally are born with HIV and unless they are given the appropriate medical care their odds of surviving the first few years of their lives are slim to none. HIV and AIDS has the same impact on newborns as it does on grown ups and it is very sad to witness babies having to go through the symptoms of this disease.
In situations where children have become have contracted HIV, it has usually been transmitted from the mother to the child. Mother to infant transmissions can be minimized when particular guidelines are followed.
Ways to reduce mother to child transmission
Mother to child transmission can be prevented when taking AZT (zidovudine, Retrovir), this is only effective however if you are in good health and have a good CD4 count. This drug is usually administered the final three months of pregnancy. If however HIV has drastically affected your immune system it is suggested that you start HIV treatment as early as possible in pregnancy. Infection will also be reduced by having a caesarean birth, particularly in cases when the viral load is high. Do not breastfeed babies once the child is born, as breastfeeding raises the risk of transmission from mother to child.
Orphaned HIV infected babies
Much can be done to avoid the HIV transmission from mother to child, but still each year there are a huge number of babies who are born with HIV, and many of these babies land up in orphanages. With both parents have contracted the virus, it usually is merely a matter of time before children end up in a home.
One may query why the family of the child's parents do not step up to care for the child, when their family member dies, however, many times it is not that simple. HIV and AIDS even though is a pandemic which affects people from all countries, is still more widespread in poverty stricken Sub- Saharan Africa. In most cases the families are too poor to look after another child not to mention a baby which needs proper medical care.
One other reason why many HIV infected children end up in orphanages is because in rural regions there is still a lot of stigma attached with HIV and so in many cases not even the families are prepared to take care of the child.
Helping hands
The need for healthcare for HIV infected new borns is great with government institutions not being able to help all the children which need care. Thankfully you will still find individuals who take it upon themselves to tend to abandoned HIV infected children within their neighborhood, those who play a very important role in society. These folks however require assistance, so if you are by the means to donate or volunteer of your time, find care providers within your area to discover how you can make a difference.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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