Human Papillomavirus Persistence, Recurrence, and Incidence in Early Childhood

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Pediatrics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) transmission from mother to child is not well understood.
• Dynamics of HPV infection in children require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the risk of HPV vertical transmission from mothers to newborns.
• To assess the incidence, persistence, and recurrence of HPV infections in children up to two years of age.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study (HERITAGE) involving pregnant women and their children from birth to two years.
• HPV DNA testing on maternal vaginal samples and infant samples (conjunctival, oral, pharyngeal, genital) at regular intervals.
• Estimation of HPV vertical transmission probability, incidence, persistence, and time to clearance using statistical methods and Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Main Results:

• An estimated 7.3% of infants born to HPV-positive mothers acquired HPV vertically, with 85.2% genotype concordance.
• During follow-up, 9.6% of children experienced incident HPV genotypes.
• Most HPV infections in children cleared spontaneously with a mean clearance time of 3.9 months; only 2 recurrent and 1 persistent infections were observed.

Conclusions:

• Vertical transmission of HPV and new HPV infections can occur in infants.
• The risk of persistent or recurrent HPV infections in children during the first two years of life is notably low.