Mom lies to doctors about her son's HIV condition

A mother who rushed her 4-year-old son to hospital after he suffered a serious head injury has been criticized for not telling medics that the child has HIV.

Two doctors and four nurses who treated the boy in the southern city of Shenzhen tested negative for the virus afterward, but will require monthly tests for the next six months.

The mother, who was not named, said she didn't reveal her child's condition as she feared the Shenzhen doctors would refuse to treat him.

She had been taking her son on a tour when the accident happened, as doctors in his hometown in China's central Hubei Province said he may not live beyond next year.

The child fell and hit his head while playing with family members at Shenzhen Railway Station on April 25 and was rushed to Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

His mother told medics there that he had no infectious diseases.

Doctors there tended the boy's wounds, but an x-ray showed bleeding inside his skull and it was decided to operate.

However, a blood test conducted before surgery showed that the little boy was infected with HIV.

Doctor in charge Zhu Fengjun said staff were shocked by this news as none had worn the special protective clothing and equipment stipulated for dealing with people with HIV.

By not disclosing this, the boy's mother had put medical staff in danger as they were in close contact with his blood and other bodily fluids, Zhu said.

"Even though they all wore masks, it is still terribly dangerous if the boy's blood splashed into their eyes. Even his sweat and tears are infectious," he added.

The mother told doctors that she had AIDS and her son had been born with HIV through mother-to-fetus transmission.

She had hidden this at the hospital, fearing her boy would be turned away.

The child was moved into an isolation ward and as the blood inside his skull was being absorbed and he is very weak, it was decided not to operate, said officials.

He left hospital and returned to Hubei with his mother on April 29, where his condition is said to be improving.

Among the medics being tested for HIV is a 21-year-old nurse.

"I haven't told my family as they'd be so worried for me," she said.