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FAQ Article
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Can a baby sero-convert from positive to neagtive?
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QUESTION:
I've heard that a baby born HIV positive can sometimes test negative 6 months or a year after birth. How does that work?
ANSWER:
The newborn child of an HIV-positive mother carries its mother's antibodies, but not necessarily its mother's virus. (This is because the fetus receives its nutrients from its mother during pregnancy, but does not share its mother's blood. It is suspected that the majority of mother-child transmissions take place during birth, when the baby is more likely to be exposed to its mother's blood.) As soon as the baby is born, its mother's antibodies begin dying off. Unless the baby is manufacturing its own antibodies -- that is, unless the baby has the virus -- he or she will test negative for antibodies by about the age of 18 months.
Source: http://www.thebody.com/bp/feb98/kid.html
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Article Details
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| Date Created |
June 14, 2006 |
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