PREVALENCE AND INCIDENCE OF VERTICALLY ACQUIRED HIV-INFECTION IN THE UNITED-STATES

Objective.-To estimate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type I preva lence among childbearing women, HIV incidence in infants, and the numb er of children living with HIV infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome as a result of transmission from mother to infant (vertical transmission). Design.-The national HIV serosurvey of childbearing wom en was used to estimate the incidence of vertically acquired HIV infec tion in children born between 1988 and 1993. Data from the national ac quired immunodeficiency syndrome case surveillance system and a multic enter pediatric HIV surveillance project were modeled to estimate inci dence in children born between 1978 and 1987. Setting.-Surveillance co nducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga , in collaboration with state and local health departments. Results.-A pproximately 14920 HIV-infected infants were born in the United States between 1978 and 1993. Of these, an estimated 12240 children were liv ing at the beginning of 1994; 26% were younger than 2 years, 35% were aged 2 to 4 years, and 39% were aged 5 years or older. Approximately 6 530 HIV-infected women gave birth in the United States in 1993, and, b ased on a 25% vertical transmission rate, an estimated 1630 of their i nfants were HIV infected. Conclusions-These results provide a basis fo r estimating medical and other resource needs for HIV-infected women a nd their children and for measuring the impact of interventions to red uce vertical transmission of HIV.