Maternal HIV/AIDS status and neurological outcomes in neonates: a population-based study

This study sought to examine the association between maternal HIV/AIDS infection and neonatal neurologic conditions in the state of Florida. We analyzed all births in the state of Florida from 1998 to 2007 using hospital discharge data linked to birth certificate records. The main outcomes of interest included selected neonatal neurologic complications, namely: fetal distress, cephalohematoma, intracranial hemorrhage, seizure, feeding difficulties, and other central nervous system complications. The sample size for this study was 1,645,515 records. All forms of substance abuse as well as cesarean section deliveries were more frequent in mothers with HIV/AIDS. Infants born to HIV-infected mothers showed higher proportions of feeding difficulties and seizures whereas HIV-negative mothers had a greater proportion of cases of fetal distress and cephalohematoma. Seizures and feeding difficulties are common among infants born to HIV/AIDS infected mothers. This population-based retrospective cohort study provides further understanding of the association between maternal HIV/AIDS status and neonatal neurological outcomes.