On March 3, 2013, the world was amazed by a remarkable event in Mississippi – a baby born with HIV was cured through early intervention. This marked the first known case in which an infant had been successfully treated and freed from the virus that causes AIDS.

The unidentified Mississippi baby was born to an HIV-positive mother who didn’t receive any treatment for the virus during her pregnancy. Doctors began treating the baby when she was just 30 hours old with antiretroviral therapy and were stunned at the results. Treatment continued until the girl was 18 months old, when she was declared cured. 

The astounding moment was considered a revolutionary discovery, as it signified how quickly HIV could be eliminated if caught early on in infancy— providing hope for future generations and paving the way for potential cures. The success of the clinical trial showed how antiretroviral therapy (ART) administered during the very beginning stages of life could shore up or even reverse some potential effects of HIV, something that was thought to be impossible before this breakthrough.

Much to everyone’s dismay, in 2014, HIV rebounded in the miracle Mississippi baby. After being declared HIV-free, the young girl continued to receive HIV monitoring every 6-8 weeks. Everything looked good until two months before her fourth birthday when it was confirmed that the virus had come back. Doctors immediately began her on more antiretroviral medication, and she seems to be responding well to the treatment, with no other signs of infection. Doctors are continuing their relentless study of the girl and the case to determine what happened, what went wrong, and how to cure HIV in the future.