INFANTS OF HIV POSITIVE

MOTHERS

- M. NISSIE
 INTRODUCTION

• HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS ( HIV ) is now a

common problem in our society all over the world. HIV is the
most common in America , Europe and Africa. AIDS break down
the body’s immune system, exposing the individual to numerous
life threatening infections, neurological disorders and
malignancies. AIDS was first reported in USA in 1981. It is now
recognized throughout the world. The first case of AIDS in India
was reported in 1986 from tamilnadu .
 ETIOLOGY
• HORIZONTAL TRANSMISSION : Horizontal transmission of
HIV occurs through intimate sexual contact of parenteral exposure
to blood or body fluids containing visible blood.
• PERINATAL TRANSMISSION
- It occurs when an HIV infected pregnant woman passes the
infection to her infant. About 91% of HIV infections are acquired
in infant from her mother by the vertical transmission method.
This is a direct consequence of the increasingly large number of
infected women. The transmission of HIV can occur in utero,
intra-partum or after delivery through breast feeding
 There is about 31- 36% chance of infection from mother to child
in utero. About 59-64% chance during delivery and about 8-14%
chance by breast feeding
Maternal risk factors are viral load, stage of disease, influence
the rate of perinatal transmission. Other factors for transmission of
HIV from mother to child are :
- Lack of matching antibody in the pregnant women
- Low maternal CD4 counts
- High CD8 counts
- Lack of antiviral therapy
- Inflammation of placental membrane
 DIAGNOSIS
- Detection of p24 antigen
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect viral
nuclei acid in the peripheral blood.
- Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay ( ELSA ) for
the detection of IgM and IgA antibody
 CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS

- Lymphadenopathy
- Hepatosplenomegaly
- Oral candidiasis
- Chronic or recurrent diarrhea
- Failure to thrive
- Developmental delay
- Parotitis
 TREATMENT & PREVENTIVE
MANAGEMENT
• - The infant of HIV positive mother should be provided zidovudine till 6 weeks of
extra uterine life.
• - Provide zidovudine prophylaxis to HIV infected pregnant women with a CD4 it
should be provided from 12 weeks of gestation till delivery
• - Provide the BCG and OPV vaccine to a symptomatic HIV infected infants
• - Provide the HBV, DPT, MMR, Polio vaccine to symptomatic HIV infected
infants
• - Provide psychological support and proper counselling to the mothers of HIV
infected mothers.
• - Health care professionals should organize awareness programme about the
prevention of HIV infection, how to face the life with HIV infected infants.
 Y OU
T H A NK