Rm. Kumar et al., A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF MOTHER-TO-INFANT HIV TRANSMISSION IN TRIBAL WOMEN FROM INDIA, Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes and human retrovirology, 9(3), 1995, pp. 238-242
The transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 from infected
mothers to their babies was assessed by serologic, virologic, and clin
ical means. Of the 160 antibody-positive women enrolled at the beginni
ng of the study, 13 had overt clinical symptoms (CDC stage III/IV). Te
rmination of pregnancy was done, on request, in seven of these cases,
The rest delivered prematurely. A total of 143 parturient women and th
eir infants were followed prospectively until the babies were 18 month
s of age. Fifteen infants (91%) died of AIDS before 14 months of age.
The remaining 128 children (91%) were alive at the end of the study pe
riod. Seventy-four seropositive children (46%) became seronegative and
were considered noninfected. None of the seronegative children revert
ed to seropositive status despite the fact that they were breastfed. T
he majority of the seropositive children (63%) became symptomatic and
clinically ill during infancy. The overall mother-to-infant vertical t
ransmission rate was 48%.