Human immunodeficiency virus load in breast milk, mastitis, and mother- to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 load in breast milk and mastiffs were examined as risk factors for vertical transmission of HIV-1. Six weeks after delivery, HIV-1 load and sodium (an indicator of mastitis) were measured in breast milk from 334 HIV-1-infected women in Malawi. Median breast milk HIV-1 load was 700 copies/mL among women with HIV-1-infected infants versus undetectable (<200 copies/mL) among those with uninfected infants, respectively (P