PCR pattern of HIV-exposed infants in a tertiary hospital.

Introduction: Early infant diagnosis (EID) provides a critical opportunity to strengthen follow-up of HIV-exposed children and early access to antiretroviral treatment. The study is designed to determine PCR pattern of HIV- exposed infants.

Methods: A 2-year cross-sectional study at Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, Nigeria. All pregnant women that presented to our ANC between January, 2011 and December, 2012 were screened for HIV; confirmation for seropositivity was from a positive ELISA and then a Western Blot assay. PCR was done for all the HIV-exposed babies at 6-8 weeks of age. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0.

Results: Otal delivery was 6,578. One hundred and sixty three babies from 162 mothers were HIV-exposed; 88 males, 75 females, with male to female ratio of 1.2:1. Eighty eight (54.0%) of the mothers were on HAART before pregnancy; 63 (39.0%) commenced HAART during pregnancy while, 12 (7.0%) never received HAART. Three (1.8%) of the HIV-exposed babies had a positive PCR. One hundred and thirty nine babies (85.3%) were breast fed.

Conclusion: Mother-to-child-transmission of HIV appears to be on the decline in the study area (1.8%), this probably, represents the pattern in other parts of the country.