Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the factors linked to HIV serostatus and the risks
of HIV positivity among children under two years old exposed to HIV at Mityana
General Hospital in Mityana district, Uganda. This was a cross-sectional descriptive
survey utilizing quantitative data from administered questionnaires and routine
service data obtained from the mother’s HIV care card and the exposed infant clinical
chart. Data analysis was performed using Epi Info version 7.2.4 for entry and Stata
version 16 for analysis. Descriptive statistics characterized both infant and mother
traits. Logistic regression was employed to determine the factors associated with HIV
serostatus. Among the 102 mother–infant pairs recruited, most mothers were between
25–34 years old (53/102, 52.0%), married (67/102, 65.7%), had attained at least primary
education (49/102, 48.1%), and were involved in farming for their livelihood (89/102,
87.3%). The HIV prevalence among the infants stood at 8.8%. In the bivariate analysis,
factors such as place of delivery (OR = 4.6, 95% CI: 1.340-9.413, p = 0.003), normal
delivery (OR = 4.7, 95% CI:0.682-5.522, p= <0.001), poor adherence to ART (OR=3.11,
95% CI: 0.983-8.344, p=0.026), and the mothers’ level of education (OR=6.2, 95% CI:
3.00-14.476, p= <0.001) were associated with HIV-positive outcomes in infants below
two years old. This study underscores that 8.8% of children under 2 years attending
Mityana General Hospital are HIV-infected due to exposure from their mothers. Factors
contributing to this burden include maternal non-adherence to ART, delivery in
facilities lacking PMTCT protocols, maternal education levels, and the absence of
prophylaxis administration to exposed infants, collectively propagating HIV
transmission among these infants.
Keywords: Pediatric HIV, Mother-to-child transmission, HIV serostatus, Infants below
2 years.