Mother to Child Risks for HIV

If no medical intervention is given, a pregnant woman with HIV has approximately 1 in 4 chance of passing on her infection to her child. This can occur through one of three routes:

During pregnancy (vertical transmission). If the mother has a lot of virus in her body, this can pass across the placenta.

During birth. During birth the baby can come into contact with infectious bodily fluids from the mother

By breast feeding. Breast milk contains high concentrations of HIV. A baby can absorb these and become infected.

Fortunately, in the UK testing for HIV is now routine for all pregnant women and, if HIV is diagnosed, medical intervention is available that virtually eradicates the risk of mother to child transmission.

Risk Prevention - Mother to Child

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