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14th International AIDS ConferenceBarcelona, Spain — July 7-12, 2002 |
Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12;14:Abstract No. TuOrB1178
BACKGROUND: In January 2000 prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) was started in Nsambya Hospital under a MOH Program.
METHODS: Short anti-retroviral courses, AZT or NVP, are offered in the late pregnancy to women enrolled in the PMTCT program. Women are counselled and supported to use either Infant Formula (IF) or Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF). RNA-PCR test are performed at week 6 and at month 6 for the diagnosis of HIV infection in children, home visits are done to trace defaulters and evaluate compliance with the feeding option adopted.
RESULTS: Out of 684 HIV+ women, 372 have been enrolled in the program and 317 have delivered. 236 women received AZT and 107 NVP. At delivery 54% of mothers chose EBF and 46% IF. 76% of the expected woman-baby pairs have came for follow-up at week-6. Infant feeding compliance: The woman-baby pairs on IF were more likely to come to follow-up than the others. During the first 3 months 20 out of 131 women using IF admitted having breastfed, and 17 out of 154 using EBF admitted having mix fed. 65% of women using EBF had done a rapid weaning by 3 months. Early transmission: At week-6 14 out of 152 tested children were positive (9.2%). Transmission rates were similar for the AZT and the NVP group. In the EBF group there were 11 positive children out of 78 (14.1%) while in the IF group there were 3 out of 74 (4.1%). 3 additional children in the EBF group tested positive at M-6 bringing the percentage of children positive in the EBF group to 17.7%. Mortality, morbidity and weight gain were similar in the two groups of babies. Clinical and social conditions of mothers in the two groups were also comparable.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results show the effectiveness of the implementation of the PMTCT program. However, the observed difference between the EBF and the IF groups underline the importance of postnatal transmission and stress the need to find alternative strategies to avoid late transmission.
Presenting author: Michele Magoni
1Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Nsambya Hospital, P.O. Box 7146, Kampala, Uganda.
2Nsambya Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
3Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
020708
TuOrB1178
Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.
