George H. W. Bush

“ As part of their overall fight against AIDS, researchers at the National Institutes of Health are studying ways to prevent transmission of the HIV virus from mother to infant. They are also investigating ways to diagnose the infection in babies at the earliest possible moment. The Federal Government and many private organizations throughout the United States are also working diligently to educate the public about AIDS and to discourage the behaviors that can put parents and their children at risk. ”

“ Women who are infected with the human immuno-deficiency (HIV) virus can transmit the virus to their infants during pregnancy or at birth. Currently, about 84 percent of the AIDS cases in children result from perinatal transmission. The outlook for HIV-infected babies is grim. Almost half of these children develop AIDS in their first year, and nearly 70 percent develop AIDS by the end of their second year. ”

“ AIDS is already the ninth leading cause of death among children between the ages of one and four, and it is expected that, during the 1990s, the disease will become an even more significant cause of death among children. ”