Clinical and laboratory profile of children living with vertically transmitted HIV/AIDS in a city in northeastern Brazily

Introduction: Vertical transmission constitutes the main route for child infection by the HIV-1 virus (human immune deficiency virus). This study aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory evolution of children with vertically transmitted HIV/AIDS. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study based on data gathered from the medical records of all the children who were seen at a specialized care unit between January 1998 and June 2006. Results: Eighty children who met the inclusion criteria were evaluated. In the cases 56 (70%) of the children, their mothers were diagnosed as HIV-positive after childbirth. The delivery was vaginal for 44 (55%) of the children. Fifty-six children (70%) were breastfed by their mothers for periods ranging from one to more than 12 months. Failure to use or incomplete use of the ACTG 076 protocol was documented in 63 (78.5%) of the cases. Conclusions: The findings from our study are a cause for considerable concern and show failures of medical care for mothers and children, particularly with regard to prevention of transmission.