Prevalence of HIV/AIDS among under 18 months infants who are born from HIV positive mothers in gondar university hospital, north west ethiopia

HIV is a virus that causes AIDS which affects the immune system of the human body thus, making the individual susceptible to different opportunistic infections and cancers. It has four major routes of transmission; transfusion of blood, unsafe sex, contaminated needles and from mother to child during pregnancy or breast feeding after delivery. The prevalence of HIV infection in infant around the world is about 600,000 newborn infected each year (>1600 new born infected each day. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in infants less than 18 months in Gondar University Hospital from February to June 2011. Retrospective study was conducted in Gondar University Hospital from February to June 2011. Under 18 months infants who are registered in registration book of PMTCT department were included in the study. The overall prevalence of HIV infection in less than 18 months infants who are born from HIV positive mothers is 11.2 %. The prevalence of HIV in infants who are breast fed is 20 .3 %, in those who took no infant prophylaxis is 43.7 %, in those mothers who didn’t follow ART the prevalence of HIV among their infant is 20.3 % and in mothers who didn’t intervene in PMTCT is 34.5 %. ART follow up of mothers, residence, marital status, infant place of birth, feeding practice of the infant, infant prophylaxis and weight of the infant have significant relationship with the prevalence of HIV in under 18 infants.