Study: HIV-negative babies born to mothers with the disease are at higher risk of illnesses

When a woman is infected with HIV, any subsequently conceived children are at risk of contracting not just the immunodeficiency virus, but any illness. An international team of researchers concluded this after studying hundreds of HIV-positive women and their babies.

Their results, which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicated that HIV-negative babies born to mothers with the virus tend to have fewer antibodies in their blood to fight off infections.

The group reported that due to advances in antiviral therapy, typically just 1 percent of U.S. mothers getting treated for HIV pass the disease to their child. However, after taking blood samples of children safely born without HIV, they found low levels of antibodies for diseases like whooping cough and tetanus.

Fortunately, these children responded well to vaccinations, researchers said.

Perinatal transmission of HIV can lead to fatal complications. Women who are concerned about the state of their sexual health may consider looking into online testing services before trying to have children.

Every year, between 100 and 200 U.S. children contract HIV in utero, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.