POSBELITUNG.CO — The HIV virus can be passed on by HIV-infected mothers to their babies during pregnancy.
Pediatrician at the Regional General Hospital (RSUD) Depati Hamzah Pangkalpinang, Dr. Ratna Setia Asihhe said the immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that infects the baby is contracted from the mother during pregnancy.
“So it is rare for a child to be exposed to HIV through sexual intercourse, through blood transfusions or needles, but it is inherited from an HIV-infected mother,” said Dr. Ratna, Monday (12/12/2022).
He said that HIV symptoms in children depend on the stage, that is, there are four stages according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The first stage means asymptomatic, the baby looks healthy.
In the second stage, symptoms began, such as swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
In the third stage, it will be even more serious symptoms such as tuberculosis, cough and fever for more than two weeks, weight loss and fungal infections of the mouth and skin.
Stage four will be even more severe, for example, maginitis infections in babies, yeast infections in the esophagus, and more than 10% weight loss, and the baby looks thin,” Dr. Ratna explained.
He said that to prevent children from being infected with HIV, there was already a health ministry program through the triple elimination program.
“The program is to test pregnant women for HIV, every pregnant woman is tested for HIV and hepatitis B. Until they become infected, pregnant women are given ARV drugs so that the babies born can be prevented by HIV,” he said.
Meanwhile, for children who are already infected with HIV, treatment is carried out according to the clinical symptoms of HIV according to WHO stage.
“When the clinical symptoms are still in stage one or two, the handler is not incentivized, given ARVs and monitoring growth, weight and height.
If it’s stage three and four, it will be more severe and prolong the patient’s hospitalization, we will do opportunistic treatment on the child,” he explained.
Dr Ratna said children who have clinical symptoms should be taken to a hospital that has HIV facilities or clinics.
“The mother or parents or caregivers of the child must pay close attention to what needs to be done for the child, give ARV drugs regularly and regularly, these ARVs will be consumed throughout life, that is, what parents and children they must educate when they are teenagers”. he said.
Bangkapos.com/Cici Nasya Nita
