Caesareans 'cut HIV birth risk'

The transmission of HIV from mother to child may be reduced by half if the baby is delivered by Caesarean section, according to a new study.

Why only asmall proportion of babies become infected is not known, but doctors suspect exposure to contaminated blood or secretions in the birth canal. The Institute of Child Health in London and colleagues taking part in the European Collaborative Study of infected mothers, analysed HIV transmission in 1,254 mother-child pairs.