title: Can HIV be transmitted through breast milk?
abstract: HIV transmission from mother to infant mostly occurs in utero, but HIV has been isolated in breast milk, implicating breast-feeding as a means of transmission. The main problem in estimating the risk of HIV transmission from breast milk stems from the inability to determine whether an infant is infected at birth. The actual risk of transmission of HIV through breast milk is unknown. It is thought to be more likely if a mother is newly infected with primary infection and may therefore be more infectious. Women who are less viraemic are thought to be less likely to transmit HIV through breast milk. This paper looks at the role of the midwife in supporting these mothers so that they can make informed choices about whether to breast-feed their child.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Quintanilla
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000821:virology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious