Mother's love is the most precious thing in the whole world. But when a mother is HIV positive, not only her life but also her child's life is in danger. A study has found that children (especially boys) born to women infected with HIV have an increased risk of death in childhood. These children are more sensitive to problems related to the immune system.

Researchers at Britain's Queen Mary University of London found that this happens due to exposure to HIV present in the mother's blood during pregnancy, weak immunity, and other infections. The study included 726 pregnant women in Zimbabwe, some of whom were living with HIV. Researchers compared the blood tests of infants who were and were not exposed to HIV.

The study found that the immune system was developing differently in children (especially boys) who were exposed to HIV. The death rate in this group was 41% higher than that of infants who were not exposed to HIV. Dr. Ceri Evans, a clinical lecturer in pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Liverpool, said: “Overall, these findings suggest that the imbalanced immune system environment (including inflammation, weakened immunity, and other infections) in women living with HIV during pregnancy may increase their risk of pregnancy. How does it affect the development of the immune system in children? Even in those infants who survived and were free of HIV, researchers found reduced growth.

What is the matter of concern?

According to the researchers, the matter of concern is that this was found despite the antiretroviral therapy (ART) given to the mother especially breastfeeding, as reported by the researchers in the paper published in the journal Nature Communications. The researchers reported that in addition to physical inflammation, as measured by C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood, infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) (a co-factor in HIV disease progression) was also independently associated with infant mortality in women living with HIV. It is associated with diabetes, as well as affecting the development of the child's immune system.

What is the solution?

Evans said inflammation, as indicated by CRP, is cheap and easy to measure, providing the opportunity for prompt testing during prenatal care. With this, pregnant women who are at highest risk of infant mortality can be identified and more help can be provided for high-risk pregnancies.

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