A healthy mother and a healthy baby

The government has implemented various projects to improve the health and prolong the life of pregnant women and babies through pregnancy-childhood health programmes. ‘Sneha’ centres have been established in all Government Medical Colleges, District Hospitals and selected Taluk hospitals to prevent the passage of HIV infection from mothers to their babies.

Diseases transferred from the mother to the baby

The chances of a baby getting infections from its mother during pregnancy delivery and breast feeding are very high. Germs, which infect the mother, are passed onto the baby. Among such infections, the most prominent one passed from the mother to the child is the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), infection. It is estimated that on an average, 30,000 children are born in India with HIV infection.

Can the spread of HIV virus from the mother to her baby be prevented?

The chances of HIV viruses spreading from the mother to the baby are about 30%. Such passage of infection can be reduced much by the use of dedicated medicines; preventive precautions during delivery and by not breast feeding.

‘Sneha’ centres give necessary counseling to pregnant women. Simultaneously blood tests are conducted to find out if the mother is infected by HIV. In case the mother is infected, treatments to prevent the passage of infection from the mother to the baby are given. If the mother is found to be infected the couple are also given special counseling. It is now possible to prevent the passage of HIV infection from the mother to the baby by effective medicines, precautions during delivery and preventing breast feeding. Medicines are given to infected mothers once the labour pains have started and to the baby after it has been delivered.

‘Sneha’ centres operate in all Government Medical Colleges, District Hospitals and selected Taluk hospitals. For further information contact Joint Director (ICTC), Red Cross Road, Kerala State AIDS Control Society, Thiruvananthapuram -35. Email: sneha@ksacs.in

Find your nearest Sneha Centre

KSACS has branded PPTCT services as ‘Sneha’. The service is available in all the ICTCS.