Study defines benefits of early HIV testing and treatment for infected infants

Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 11:21 in Health & Medicine

Testing very young babies for HIV and giving antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately to those found infected with the virus dramatically prevents illness and death, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study found that giving ART to HIV-infected infants beginning at an average age of 7 weeks made them four times less likely to die in the next 48 weeks, compared with postponing ART until signs of illness or a weakened immune system appeared - the standard of care when the study began...

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