Health Day – By Robert Preidt Thursday, June 14, 2012 Human breast milk seems to kill HIV and block its oral (through the mouth) transmission, according to a new study conducted in mice. The findings suggest that it may be possible to isolate the compounds in breast milk that destroy HIV and use these to combat the virus that causes AIDS, the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine researchers said. More than 15 percent of new HIV infections occur among children. Left untreated, only 65 percent of infected babies survive until their first birthday, and less than 50 percent reach the age of 2, the study authors pointed out in a news release from the University of North Carolina Health Care. |