Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV.

Perinatal transmission is the most common cause of HIV infection in pediatric population below the age of 15 years. Much progress has been made to decrease the risk of transmission than just offering the option of medical termination of pregnancy to the mother. Future research is needed not only to develop the simple preventive program, but also to make it more cost effective, acceptable and accessible to the general population. Following review article focuses on the factors affecting the transmission of HIV, strategies for prevention of MTCT with special reference to use of nevirapine and breast-feeding practices in HIV positive mother. The role of counseling and voluntary testing is also stressed upon.