MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS (HIV) INIRELAND - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

Symptomatic HIV infection was first diagnosed in an Irish child in 198 5, A prospective study was initiated to determine the vertical transmi ssion rate (VTR) of HIV and the average age of infant seroreversion an d to monitor Clinical, immunologic and virologic evidence for HIV infe ction in seroreverters, Ninety three HIV positive infants have been pr ospectively identified since 1985, The predominant underlying maternal risk factor for HIV infection is intravenous drug use (IVDU) (96 per cent). Of 93 infants, median gestational age was 40 weeks and median b irth weight 3125 grams. Ninety-four per cent of infants were bottle fe d. Currently 72 (77 per cent) infants are uninfected, 12 (13 per cent) are infected, 4 (4.5 per cent) are indeterminate and 5 (5.5 per cent) have been lost to follow up. The intermediate estimate of vertical tr ansmission rate (VTR) is 14.3 per cent. The median age at documented s eroreversion was 12 months. There are no significant differences betwe en infected and non-infected children in male\female ratio, gestationa l age, mode of delivery or birth weight. Strategies to reduce the tran smission of HIV among drug users in combination with routine antenatal screening and antiretroviral prophylaxis of vertical transmission are all measures which can reduce HIV infection in our children.