Early testing could save babies

Babies with HIV are four times more likely to live to 48 weeks when they are given Aids medication straight away, according to a new study.

Researchers measured the effect of antiretroviral medication (ART) in 377 infants with HIV under 12 weeks of age in South Africa.

They found youngsters who were given ART at seven weeks were four times less likely to die in the next 48 weeks.

World Health Organization recommendations for treating infants have already changed on the back of this study.

Director of one of the organisations sponsoring the research, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Anthony Fauci said: "The results … are a clarion call to scale up widespread early HIV testing of at-risk infants and to make ART immediately accessible to all infants who test positive."

Previously, medication was not issued until more pronounced HIV/Aids symptoms appeared.

The NIAID, which is a US entity committed to researching new therapies, is currently studying the best way of administering the drugs.

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