Doctors Allow HIV-Positive Mother Donate Liver To Her Child

Faced with the only chance to save a child ’ s life , doctors in South Africa have performed a medical first — transplanting part of the liver from a HIV – positive mother to her HIV – negative child , it was announced Thursday.

The doctors at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg revealed that , one year after the operation , the child may not have caught the virus from her new liver.

The child had a terminal liver disease and would have died without the transplant.

Medication given to the child “ may have prevented the transmission of HIV.
However , we will only know this conclusively over time, ” said Jean Botha , chief surgeon at the university.

The team of doctors performed the world ’ s first liver transplant from a mother living with HIV to her critically – ill HIV – negative child , who had been waiting 180 days for a donor.

They said that the mother and child , who have not been identified , have fully recovered and are in good health.

The mother , who was being successfully treated with antiretroviral medication , had repeatedly asked to donate her liver to save her child ’ s life — posing a major ethical dilemma for doctors due to the risk of HIV transmission.

South Africa has the world ’ s largest HIV treatment programme and the use of HIV -positive donors could help tackle the severe overall shortage of donors.

In 2017 , 14 children waiting for liver transplants in Johannesburg died before having the operation.

“ We hope that this ground – breaking operation will be the first of many like it and will contribute towards promoting justice and equity in liver transplantation , ” June Fabian , research director at the university ’ s medical centre , said in a press release.

A paper detailing the case was published on Thursday in the peer -reviewed AIDS medical journal.

( AFP )