HIV Among Pregnant Women, Infants and Children in the United States

HIV transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, labor and delivery, or breastfeeding is known as perinatal transmission and is the most common route of HIV infection in children. When HIV is diagnosed before or during pregnancy, perinatal transmission can be reduced to less than 1% if appropriate medical treatment is given, the virus becomes undetectable, and breastfeeding is avoided. Since the mid-1990s, HIV testing and preventive interventions have resulted in more than a 90% decline in the number of children perinatally infected with HIV in the United States.

Rates (per 100,000 Live Births) of Diagnosed Perinatally Acquired HIV Infections, by Year of Birth and Race/Ethnicity,a 2007-2009 -- 46 States

Note: Data include persons with a diagnosis of HIV infection regardless of stage of disease at diagnosis. All displayed data have been statistically adjusted to account for reporting delays, but not for incomplete reporting. a. Live birth data reflect race/ethnicity of the infant's mother. b. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

The Numbers

• In 2010, an estimated 217 children younger than the age of 13 years were diagnosed with HIV in the 46 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV infection reporting since at least 2007; 162 (75%)¹ of those children were perinatally infected.
• At the end of 2009, an estimated 10,834 persons who were diagnosed with HIV when they were younger than 13 years were living in the 46 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting. Of the total, 9,522 (88%) of these persons acquired HIV perinatally. Of these diagnoses of perinatal HIV infection, 63% were in blacks/African Americans, 22% were in Hispanics/Latinos,² and 13% were in whites. These numbers include persons of all ages who were infected with HIV as children.
• The number of women with HIV giving birth in the United States increased approximately 30%, from 6,000-7,000 in 2000 to 8,700 in 2006.
• Despite the increase in the number of women with HIV giving birth, the estimated number of perinatal HIV infections per year in all 50 states and 5 US dependent areas continues to decline.
• Among perinatally infected children born during 2007 through 2009, black/African American children had the highest HIV rate per 100,000 live births each year, although the rate decreased from 15.2 in 2007 to 9.9 in 2009. The rates for Hispanic/Latino and white children remained stable during this time.
• From the beginning of the epidemic through 2009, an estimated 5,626 people who were diagnosed with AIDS when they were younger than 13 years died in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Of the total, 4,986 (89%) of them were infected perinatally.