Breastfeeding transmission of HIV-1.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) may be vertically transmitted d uring the pre, peri or postpartum period. Postnatal transmission as well as an increased risk of vertical transmission with breastfeeding has been sho wn for HIV-1 in several reports. Breastfeeding was here analyzed as a risk of HIV-1 transmission in a group of infants born to HIV-1 infected mothers. Among the 215 children studied in our population a significant difference was detected between those who were breastfed vs those who were bottle fed and finally became infected (p < 0.000000, R.R. = 4.29). We also report the case of a postnatal infection in a baby born to an HIV-1 seropositive fath er and a seronagative mother. Due to the risk of infection of the mother sh e had been thoroughly controlled when pregnant and after delivery. Mother a nd child were negative when retested at delivery, and at 10 months post-par tum. At the age of 32 months the child attended the outpatient clinic with generalized lymphadenopathy and right parotitis. HIV-1 infection was then c onfirmed in both mother and child. At that time it was discovered that the baby had been breastfed up to the age of 24 months. This is the first repor ted child in Argentina whose infection may undoubtedly be attributed to bre astfeeding.