A 4 month old infant born to an HIV-infected mother is going into foster care because the mother is too ill to care for the child. The foster mother wants to know if the infant is also infected. What is the best response by the nurse?

A 4 month old infant born to an HIV-infected mother is going into foster care because the mother is too ill to care for the child. The foster mother wants to know if the infant is also infected. What is the best response by the nurse?

A 4 month old infant born to an HIV-infected mother is going into foster care because the mother is too ill to care for the child. The foster mother wants to know if the infant is also infected. What is the best response by the nurse?


1. "It's too early to know; we have to wait until the infant has symptoms."
2. "Since the mother is so ill, it's likely the child is also infected with HIV."
3. "The ELISA test is positive, so the child is definitely infected."
4. "The PCR test is positive; this indicates HIV infecion, which may or may not progress to AIDS."


Answer: "The PCR test is positive; this indicates HIV infecion, which may or may not progress to AIDS."



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