In developing countries, HIV infections in newborns have a huge impact on health. According to a study, 300-500 infants are infected every day in sub-Saharan Africa.
An African study is done on infected infants with HIV. According to it, A treatment was found with powerful drugs within the first few hours and days of birth to preserve their immune systems and provide better chances of long term health.
A co-author Roger Shapiro of the Harvard T H Chan School of Public health said in a telephonic briefing with a reporter, ” Without treatment HIV infected infants lead to death within two years.
A study also published in the journal Science Translational Medicine that builds on discoveries of infants whose HIV was cured after receiving antiretroviral therapy within weeks of birth.
The first case was from Mississippi infant who born in 2010 and treated within 30 hours of birth. Moreover, the treatment controlled the virus of the baby for several months after stopped the treatment.
Moreover, A team of Harvard and MIT scientists tested on early group pf 40 HIV infected infants ain Botswana, where 24 % of pregnant women were suffering from this virus that leads to AIDS.
According to this research, ART was given to 10 infants within hours and days of birth. These ten infants started to get treatment for four months and then compared with 54 infants without HIV.
The early treatment shows a smaller viral reservoir that persists through life even during the treatment.
Current World Health organisation guidelines recommended infected newborns receive ART within weeks of birth to suppress the virus that can develop rapid and fatal immune deficiency.
Shapiro said that early treatment is not a cure, but the combination with other interventions could be cure HIV early.
Some children can include trial testing to check the status of HIV. The trial is set in 2020 that could be used for lifelong treatment.
