Abstract

Perinatal HIV transmission from mother to child is a major health problem in Thailand. The Ministry of Public Health implemented a program for prevention of mother to child HIV transmission by giving antiretrovirals to HIV infected pregnant women and infants. HIV seropositives in newborns under 18 months are not definite diagnosis because antibody level may show those of their mothers. HIV diagnosis in children using DNA PCR is a rapid tool for determining infection with 4-6 months-infants after birth. Regional Medical Sciences Center Ubon Ratchathani diagnosed HIV in infants in Public Health Region 13 by using DNA PCR technique during 2005-2009. There were 1,020 infants born to HIV infected mothers. A total of 890 out of 1,020 cases (87.3%) were diagnosed using DNA PCR technique at Regional Medical Sciences Center Ubon Ratchathani. In all, 42 cases were HIV positive (4.7%) where as only 770 cases (75.5%) had two consecutive samples examined. Eventually 35 cases were HIV positive accounting for 4.5 percent HIV vertical transmission rate from mother to child. Low perinatal HIV transmission rate from mothers to children is beneficial for HIV prevention and control program. HIV vertical transmission rate, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Key words:

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