Most children acquire human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). The risk of MTCT of HIV is generally 15%-40% without prophylaxis. MTCT has been responsible for approximately 370,000 infant HIV infections worldwide, with Nigeria accounting for 30% of cases. The study evaluated the effectiveness of a prevention program for MTCT of HIV infection by determining the rate of MTCT of HIV in infants who underwent the program by reviewing health records of mother-infant pairs at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital. This cross-sectional study conducted over 12 years used medical records of 545 mother-infant pairs. The rate of MTCT of HIV infection was 2.9% in this study compared to 7.1% reported by the center earlier. The rate of MTCT of HIV infection was the lowest among mother-infant pairs who received prophylaxis. Ages at recruitment are a strong determinant of the risk of infection. Late usage of the MTCT prevention service is a risk for HIV infection in exposed infants.
Keywords: ARV prophylaxis; HIV exposed infant; audit; mother-to-child transmission; prevention.