Pre-Chewing Food by Mom can transmit HIV to Kids

Health officials said that the AIDS virus can be spread by a mother pre-chewing her infant´s food, a practice mainly seen in poor, developing countries. Mothers do it because they have no access to baby food or a means of pulverizing food for toothless infants. Earlier studies have also linked pre-chewing to the spread of other infections including Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that causes stomach ailments, and streptococcal pharyngitis, which triggers sore throat.

It's blood, not saliva, that carried the virus because in at least twoof the cases the infected mothers had bleeding gums or mouth sores,according to investigators.