Vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1: frequency and correlation of transmission (review)

Child bearing age women constitute the fastest growing subset of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected population. Consistent with this fact is the increasing number of HIV infected children. Vertical transmission from mother to child is the most common route of infection. Because of the nature of the virus, it is difficult to determine the timing of infection. There are three time periods during which infection can occur: prenatally, perinatally, or postnatally. Evidence for each is presented within this review.