Time of HIV diagnosis in infants after weaning from breast milk

Athena P Kourtis1, Caroline C King, Julie Nelson

  • 1aDivision of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA bDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology cDivision of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

Of 28 infants diagnosed with HIV infections after the recommended time of breastfeeding cessation in a large clinical trial (the Breastfeeding, Antiretrovirals and Nutrition Study), 19 (68%) were first detected more than 6 weeks (and up to 168 days) after recommended weaning. The current WHO recommendation for HIV testing of infants is at 6 weeks or more after weaning; these data argue for repeat HIV testing of infants up to 6 months after breastfeeding cessation, so that no infant HIV infections are missed.

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