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Immunology

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Immunology of Pediatric (HIV)
Unit 1 Assignment 1 (GE257)
Ashley Pernell
September 21, 2015

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus where the body has a hard time fighting off infections and disease. If left untreated it can lead to AIDS. The human body cannot get rid of HIV. That means that once you have HIV, you have it for life. Most children who are born to mothers who have HIV do not become infected with this virus. In the case that they do become infected, their response to treatment varies depending upon the timing and potentially the route of their infection. (Tobin & Aldrovandi, 2013) The majority of pediatric HIV infection occurs via mother-to-child transmission at three points: in utero, intrapartum, or through breast milk. Most children born to women with high levels of HIV and low numbers of CD4+ T-cells do not become infected. Even when primary HIV infection occurs during pregnancy, 80% of children escape infection. (Tobin & Aldrovandi, 2013) Utero transmission is mother to baby transmission of HIV during pregnancy. This transmission may occur if there is damage to the placenta and blood from the mother contact the fetus. During the third trimester of pregnancy, maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are transplacentally transferred. The antibodies are associated with infant safeguard against a variety of microbes. Most utero transmission infections occur a few weeks before the delivery. The HIV in these infants is different from infants infected at the time of birth. Those infected before birth have a survival time of 208 as opposed to those at birth with a 380 survival time. (Tobin & Aldrovandi, 2013) Breastfeeding is another way of mother to baby HIV transmission. There is evidence to imply that HIV-infected CD4 cells have a higher ability to replicate themselves in breast milk than in blood. Breast milk has a

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