CDC NATIONAL AIDS HOTLINE TRAINING BULLETIN #46 - April 21, 1993
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Of the 4,249 pediatric AIDS cases (<13 years of age) reported to CDC as of December 31, 1992, 3,665 (86%) occurred among children who acquired their infection perinatally (mother with/at risk for HIV infection), 494 (11%) occurred among children who acquired HIV through transfusion of blood/blood components or treatment for a coagulation disorder, and 90 (2%) occurred among children who had undetermined risk factors. All AIDS cases reported with an undetermined risk of HIV infection are followed-up by state/local health departments using standard public health investigation techniques. Pediatric cases without risk information are a high priority for follow-up. CDC provides technical assistance to state/local health departments for these follow-up investigations.

Of these 90 pediatric cases with undetermined risk, 79 (88%) were still being actively investigated and 11 were closed with incomplete information due to death (N=2), loss to follow-up (N=6), or refusal to participate in a standardized interview (N=3). For many of these cases, investigation is incomplete because many children were abandoned at birth or were in foster care and, thus, the mother's HIV infection status or risk information cannot be ascertained.

Of these 90 children, 18 (20%) were white, 55 (61%) were black, 17 (19%) were Hispanic. This breakdown by race is similar to that for pediatric cases reported with an identified risk. The average age at AIDS diagnosis was also similar for pediatric cases reported with and without risk (31 and 33 months, respectively)

The majority of pediatric cases reported without risk information are subsequently reclassified into identified transmission categories. As of December 31, 1992, 167 cases had been originally reported without risk information and subsequently reclassified as follows:

Hemophilia/coagulation disorder 2 ( 1%) Received transfusion1 7 ( 4%) Perinatal transmission 158 (95%)

1. Includes 2 children who developed AIDS after receiving blood screened negative for HIV antibody.