Ghanaian children of women infected with human immuno- deficiency virus (HIV).

Abstract

Seven children of HIV-I .infected Ghanaian women are described including one pair of twins. They were detected because the mothers gave a history of high risk behaviour in La Cote d’Ivoire. The twins and 2 others were seen at birth; 2 others were diagnosed under the age of 1 year; and one was 6 years old. Six of the 7 children and 3 of the mothers have died. The twins died from prematurity, and the other 4 died of disease due to HIV infection. One child with AIDS related complex (A.R.C) is still alive. Infection was diagnosed either because of the presence of active production by the child of anti HIV-I antibody (3 cases), or on the basis of clinical criteria consistent with the WHO clinical definition. These are the first known cases of AIDS in the paediatric age group in Ghana.