A study of perinatal transmission of HIV and the effect fo the virus on infected infants is continuing at SUNY/Brooklyn and has recently been expanded to include Albert Einstein Medical Center. Preliminary findings among drug-abusing women suggest that seropositive gravidae (n=14) are more likely to have unexplained fevers, weight loss, sweats, diarrhea, and/or adenopathy than were seronegative drug abusers (n=21). Mean birth weights were 2612 grams and 2877 grams, respectively. In a separate comparison developmental testing was carried out in 18 seropositive infants and 28 seronegative infants born to women attending a substance abuse clinic or a Haitian obstetric clinic. There were no differences in the Einstein scale at one month of age, but at three months mental develpment scores (Bayley) were lower in the positive group (mean = 101) than in the controls (mean = 109; p greater than .05). At a mean follow-up of 4.4 months (range 0-12 months) about 40% of infants born to seropositive mothers had some clinical findings related to HIV infection. Recruitment of additional mother-infant pairs is continuing. Additional initiatives in HIV infection include plans to initiate a randomized study of intravenous immunoglobulins in the treatment of infants who are seropositive for HIV infection. Symptomatic and pre-symptomatic infants will be randomized separately. A study of the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of health care workers toward AIDS and AIDS patients was completed and indicated the need for more in-service training of hospital workers.
