Publication:

Short-term outcomes of paired HIV-exposed formula-fed infants and their mothers on HAART in a Nigerian resource-constrained specialist hospital: a cohort study

Background Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has worsened infant mortality in developing countries. These deaths are associated with Low Birth Weight (LBW), varying morbidities and high transmission rate of HIV from mother to her baby. This study assesses the short-term outcome of paired formula-fed infants born to their paired mothers on HAART.

Methods A cohort study of sixty five paired mothers and their babies attending Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) clinic for 6 weeks after delivery. The data collected was analyzed using Epi info 3.3.2 version.

Results All the paired mothers had live births. There were no intra-uterine foetal death, still-births and no pre-term deliveries reported. About 12 (18.5%) of these babies had their birth weight <2.5 kg (LBW). Only 1 (1.5%) baby was positive to PCR-DNA test at six weeks of age. Varying morbidities were reported in 39 (60.0%) of the babies and respiratory tract infection, ophthalmia neonatorum, diarrhoea and malaria were the commonest observed. There was no statistical significant association between transmission of HIV from mother to child and maternal time of initiation of HAART (CI-95%, RR-0.9778, Fishers exact-0.6923). There was also no statistical significant association between transmission rate of HIV and mode of delivery (CI-95%, Fisher exact-0.8461).

Conclusions The use of HAART in HIV sero-positive mothers was shown to have favourable infants’ outcome. It is hoped that this work will improve quality of care by primary care physicians and open more opportunities of up-take of PMTCT programme by affected families.