"The Ministry of Health had sent out a directive on December 8 to both the public and medical practitioners to start routine testing of pregnant women for the AIDS virus," it said in a brief email statement to AFP.

Testing is not compulsory but is included as part of routine medical check-ups for pregnant women unless they choose to opt out.

The tests on pregnant women are part of Singapore's efforts to stem a rise in new HIV/AIDS infections, which hit a record high of 257 cases reported in the first 10 months of the year.

A total of 242 new cases were reported for all of 2003. Most of the new HIV infections involved heterosexual men who contracted the virus through casual sex or sex with prostitutes.

Plans to begin routine HIV testing on the estimated 40,000 pregnant women in Singapore were made public last month when Senior Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan said treatment during pregnancy could reduce the risk of a baby contracting the illness from 25 percent to two percent.

"No baby should be born with HIV when it can be prevented," Balaji said during an AIDS seminar.

According to Balaji, 12 babies were born with HIV over the past 10 years in Singapore.

KK Women's and Children's Hospital, which delivers a third of Singapore's babies, has already started the HIV testing, a spokeswoman told AFP.