Week 12

According to a new study published by PloS Medicine, Tenofovir the anti-HIV drug, is safe to use during pregnancy. Researchers led by Diana Gibb found that the drug does not increase the risk of kidney problems, birth defects or growth abnormalities in infants born to HIV-positive women in Africa. The team examined data to figure out what the effect was on infants born to Ugandan and Zimbabwean HIV-positive women who took ART ( Antiretroviral therapy ) during pregnancy. The majority of women the team examined were taking Tenofovir at somepoint throughout their pregnancy and after comparing the infants exposed and not exposed to the drug, the researchers found that out of 226 live births, there was no increase in the proportion of infants who died shortly after birth. In my opinion this is a great discovery because they now know that they can use the drugs on these pregnant mothers without there being a defect or death.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/245426.php

Week-11

An international team led by UC Davis researchers has figured out that mothers in sub-Saharan Africa could successfully follow certain steps that were planned out for them (protocol) for flash-heating breast milk to reduce transmission of HIV to their infants. Flash-heating breast milk was highly recommended by the World Health Organization (Who) for HIV-infected mothers during times of increased transmission risk. To flash-heat the milk you have to put the milk into a glass jar and then put the jar into a small pot of water and heat it unitl the water boils. Research from UC Davis and UC Berkeley shows that these steps inactivate HIV in the breast milk but keep the milks nutritional and infection-fighting properties. But they don't know whether or not women in poor countries would be willing and able to successfully use the technique.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/244952.php