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CDC: Mother-to-child transmission of HIV declines
November 21, 1996
Web posted at: 10:10 p.m. ESTATLANTA (CNN) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a 27 percent drop in reported cases of perinatally acquired or mother-to-infant AIDS between 1992 and 1995.
The CDC credits increased use of AZT therapy by HIV-positive women and their newborns with the decline, although the agency says it may not be the only factor.
The report is published in the CDC's weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It shows that in a study by the National Institutes of Health, the incidence of perinatally acquired AIDS peaked in 1992, stabilized in 1993 and dropped dramatically in 1994. In the study, women were given AZT during pregnancy and childbirth; newborns were given the drug for six weeks after birth.
After the study concluded, a consortium of Public Health Service agencies, including the CDC, NIH and the Health Resources and Services Administration, issued guidelines to capitalize on the findings. The guidelines recommend routine and universal HIV counseling and voluntary testing for all pregnant women.
Related stories:
- Study: Interleukin 2 boosts immunity of AIDS patients - October 30, 1996
- Activists, doctors pursue AIDS cure together, for a change - October 25, 1996
- AIDS research progress may limit life insurance options - July 21, 1996
Related sites:
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- CDC - Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention
- International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care
- XI International Conference on AIDS
- HIV/AIDS Surveillance Database
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