Breast Milk Purged Of HIV Virus

A simple nipple shield that prevents HIV transmission from a breast-feeding mother to her child has been devised by a Cambridge University engineer. Stephen Gerrard, a chemical engineer, has helped devise the shield that can disinfect milk as it leaves the breast.

The device uses a detergent used by biochemists to denature proteins for analysis. A layer of cotton-wool soaked in sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) is added to a conventional shield and this deactivates the virus.The layer deals with the virus without having to go through heat treatment which is the normal treatment to deactivate the HIV virus. Initial research had looked at heat treatment, but researchers determined the heat process may be impractical for women in developing countries.

Their project could also have benefits beyond prevention of HIV. "We were concerned that using our nipple shield could be stigmatizing, since it would identify a mother as HIV infected," said Mr Gerrard. "We're considering marketing it as a way to deliver medicines or micronutrient supplements to aid breast feeding. For example, they can also be used for iron or iodine deficiency." Courtesy BBC news.