title: PCR pattern of HIV-exposed infants in a tertiary hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Onankpa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ben
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yusuf
mesh_terms: D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
keywords: HIV-exposed; Nigeria; PCR pattern; tertiary hospital