Abstract
Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can be transmitted from infected mother to her baby. Objective: To assess transmission rate of HIV from seropositive mothers on highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) to their formula-fed babies. Method: A cross-sectional study of 65 paired mothers on HAART and their formula-fed babies was carried out. Polymerase chain reaction-deoxyribonucleic acid (PCR-DNA) of the babies was done at six weeks of age. Epi info was used to analyse data. Results: Mean age of mothers was 30.26 ± 0.5 years. About 73.8% of the paired mothers were diagnosed with HIV before their current pregnancies and 69.2% initiated HAART before their current pregnancies. Duration of HAART use was between three months and two years. Modes of deliveries were caesarean section (15.4%) and vaginal route (84.6%). Only one (1.5%) of the babies was positive to PCR-DNA test at six weeks of age. There was no statistically significant association between the baby’s PCR-DNA at six weeks of age and the mode of delivery (OR-0.0047, CI-95%, Fisher Exact=0.8461) as well as between the time of initiation of HAART by the paired mothers and the paired baby’s PCR-DNA results (RR-0.9778, CI-95%, Fisher Exact=0.6923). Conclusions: Overall mother to child transmission (MTCT) rate in this study was 1.5%. Use of HAART for more than three months, irrespective of delivery route, is capable of significantly reducing MTCT of HIV even in resource-constrained settings. Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2015; 44(3): 153-157
Highlights
About 73.8% of the paired mothers were diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) before their current pregnancies and 69.2% initiated highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) before their current pregnancies
Ninety percent of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in children are attributed to motherto-child transmission (MTCT)
The parameters considered in the babies were their birth weights and HIV status at six weeks of age by Polymerase chain reaction-deoxyribonucleic acid (PCR-DNA) biotechnology
Summary
Ninety percent of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in children are attributed to motherto-child transmission (MTCT). A number of obstetric interventions have been proven to have gradually eliminated MTCT of HIV in the United States of America and Europe[2,3]. These evolving interventions initially included supplementation of diet with vitamin A (especially antenatally), elective caesarean section and vaginal cleansing with antiseptic (0.2% chlorhexidine) or anti-viral agents[1,3,4]. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can be transmitted from infected mother to her baby
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