Abstract
Early diagnosis of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in infants provides a critical opportunity to strengthen follow-up of HIV- exposed children using dried blood spots and assure early access to antiretroviral treatment for infected children. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HVI-1 infection in infants born to HIV-seropositive mothers. Early infant diagnosis of HIV sub-type I was carried out using on dried blood spots of 286 babies born to HIV-I seropositive mothers attending the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja - Kogi State, Nigeria, between the months of July to December, 2013. Data obtained was analyzed using Gene Amp PCR System 9700. The overall rate of HIV-I vertical transmission from infected mothers to their babies was 14.5%. High transmission rates 63.5%was seen in babies whose mothers could not get any form of interventions with the least transmission rates seen in babies whose mothers either took HAART or were one form of ARV or the other (0 – 1.0%). Babies who took nevirapine as prophylaxis after delivery had lower rate (1%) of transmission. From the 30 women that mix-fed their babies, 6.7% transmission rate was recorded.Lack of antiretroviral drugs by HIV-I positive pregnant women was found to be associated with high rate of HIV-I transmission (p<0.05). Early intervention of mother to child transmission of HIV-1 infection using Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, exclusive breastfeeding practice as well as constant visit to Tertiary Hospitals for counseling and management of HIV infection reduced the rate of infection among the infants born to seropositive mothers.
Highlights
Mother-to-child transmission of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (MTCT) remains the most prevalent source of pediatric HIV infection
Intervention of mother to child transmission of HIV-1 infection using Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, exclusive breastfeeding practice as well as constant visit to Tertiary Hospitals for counseling and management of HIV infection reduced the rate of infection among the infants born to seropositive mothers
This study shows an overall HIV-I transmission rate of 4.5% among the cohort of women attending the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) to access antiretroviral drugs either for themselves or their babies
Summary
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) remains the most prevalent source of pediatric HIV infection. HIV infection accounts for more than 20% of child deaths in southern Africa compared with approximately 3% globally [2]. Established modes of HIV transmission globally include the following; (1) sexual contact (vaginal, anal, or orogenital); (2) percutaneous (from contaminated needles or other sharp instruments) or mucous membrane exposure to contaminated blood or other body fluids; and (3) mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, around the time of labor and delivery, and postnatally through breastfeeding. In the absence of documented sexual transmission or parenteral or mucous membrane contact with blood or blood-containing body fluids, transmission of HIV rarely has Corresponding author: Yusuf Aminat Omope Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bingham University, Jos Campus, Nigeria
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