Final answer:
The estimated risk of HIV transmission through breastmilk is about 15%. Giving antiretroviral medications to the mother during pregnancy and to the infant after birth can reduce the transmission rate to about 1%. Bottle feeding instead of breastfeeding eliminates the risk of transmission.
Step-by-step explanation:
The estimated risk of HIV transmission through breastmilk is about 15%. This means that if a mother is infected with HIV, there is a 15% chance that the virus will be transmitted to her infant through breast milk. However, there are ways to reduce this risk. Giving antiretroviral medications to the mother during pregnancy and to the infant after birth can reduce the transmission rate to about 1%. Another option is to substitute bottle feeding for breastfeeding, which eliminates the risk of transmission through breast milk altogether.