Objectives: To determine whether HIV-infected mothers knew the HIV status of their children, enabling the offer of targeted testing of children at risk.
Methods: All HIV-positive women attending the genitourinary medicine clinic at a district general hospital in the United Kingdom were asked whether they had children and the age, HIV status and residence of their children using a standardized proforma.
Results: A total of 297 HIV-positive women were included in a prospective audit. Two hundred and fifty-four women had 551 offspring; 143 had a total of 217 children aged <16 years. Of those children, 118 lived in the United Kingdom. Of the 99 children living abroad, 71% were living in Zimbabwe, 21% in other African countries (Zambia, Kenya, Burundi, Malawi and South Africa) and 5% in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries. Of the 118 children living in the UK, mothers knew the HIV status in 49 (42%), of whom nine (18%) were HIV positive. A further two older offspring were also HIV positive. Mothers were aware of the HIV status in significantly fewer children staying in the country of origin: nine (9%; P<0.05), of whom four were known to be HIV positive. All HIV-positive children living in the United Kingdom were under the care of paediatricians with special expertise in paediatric HIV infection.
Conclusions: The HIV status of the majority of children of HIV-positive immigrant mothers is unknown, particularly those children who remain in their country of origin.