Background: Early infant diagnosis of HIV is the key step for the early initiation of HAART among HIV-exposed children. The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of children born to mothers infected with HIV who completed the early infant HIV diagnosis process and the factors associated with this complete process.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Tokoin University Hospital in the pediatrics ward. This study included all HIV-exposed children born between July 2009 and June 2011. The association between the mother's, spouse's, and child's characteristics as well as access to early HIV diagnosis by PCR (blood collection and reporting of results before the 6months of age) was studied using logistic regression analysis.
Results: A total of 455 HIV-exposed children were included: for 52.7%, the first test was PCR, 99 of them received their results, 59 of whom received their results before the 6th month of life (undergoing the complete process). In multivariate analysis, the only factor associated with the complete process of early HIV diagnosis was the maternal age≥28years (adjusted odds ratio, 1.75, 95% CI [1.18-2.76]).
Conclusion: The availability of early infant PCR diagnosis remains a challenge and innovative strategies must be implemented.
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