Transmission of cervical cancer-associated human papilloma viruses from mother to child

There is now compelling evidence that persistent infection with certain typ es of human genital papillomaviruses (HPV) may, after many years, lead to c ervical cancer. However, HPV have been detected in asymptomatic women, infa nts and children. Several studies have demonstrated that infants can acquir e high-risk HPV infections from their mothers at birth. Thus, the tradition al view that cervical-cancer associated HPV infections are primarily sexual ly transmitted needs to be re-assessed. Accordingly, the role of mother to child transmission of cancer-associated HPVs may need to be investigated fu rther. These facts are pertinent to those developing prophylactic vaccines to prevent high-risk HPV infections and cervical carcinoma.