Sir, - The Minister for Health and Children, Mr Brian Cowen, announced on February 24th "the commencement of routine antenatal testing for HIV in the Southern Health Board, the Coombe Women's Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital from March 1st 1999" and in "maternity hospitals and units or through GPs in the rest of the country from April, 1999." Mr Cowen noted that "the Rotunda already carries out such testing".
It was with some surprise, therefore, that I read (The Irish Times, March 25th) a week ago that "the Coombe Women's Hospital has started the State's first HIV screening service for pregnant women." Routine antenatal screening for HIV antibody was introduced at the Rotunda on January 1st, 1998. This Rotunda initiative is in fact the State's first routine HIV screening service for pregnant women. The patient uptake of this screening at the Rotunda has been excellent. In 1998, antenatal testing for HIV antibody was offered to a total of 6,226 women attending the hospital; 6,222 of these women took the test; four refused.
The rationale for introducing routine testing for HIV antibody is that this infection can be passed on from a mother to her baby during pregnancy or at the time of delivery. If a pregnant woman is infected with HIV, specific treatment during pregnancy will reduce the risk of transfer of this infection to the baby. With optimum treatment of a mother during pregnancy and during labour, and also treatment to the baby after birth, the risk of the baby becoming infected can be reduced by about two-thirds.
No infant born in the Rotunda since 1994 who has received such treatment has been infected with HIV. In addition, specific treatment is important for the mother as it will help to safeguard her health. - Yours, etc., Dr M. T. Cafferkey,
Rotunda Hospital, Dublin 1.