CURRENT TOPIC HIV infection in children

The World Health Organisation has estimated that 10 million adults and one million children are infected with HIV worldwide.' Most of these infections will have been acquried through heterosexual contact and the increasing prevalence of HIV infection among women has implications for children as vertical transmission from mother to child is the major route by which children acquire infection. The number of children with HIV and AIDS reported in the UK is shown in table L ' There have been no new reports ofHIV seroconversion in children with haemophilia since 1985 when blood donor screening for HIV and heat treatment of freeze dried factor VIII concentrate was introduced. This information comes from a multiple of sources including the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit active surveillance scheme, whereby paediatricians are asked to report on a monthly basis any HIV antibody positive children under their care.3 Recent data from anonymous unlinked test programmes of antenatal women4 and newborn infants as an indirect measure of infection in pregnant women,5 6 suggest that HIV prevalence in Scotland ranged from 2-5 per 1000 in Edinburgh, 14 per 1000 in Dundee, to 0-7 per 1000 in Aberdeen.6 In outer London the mean prevalence was one in 1400, in the south east it was one in 16 000,4 whereas in inner London the prevalence in pregnant women has increased fourfold in the last two years5 and is now one in 500. In antenatal clinics in other parts of the country only one test in 16 000 was positive.4