Prevalence of Maternal HIV Infection in Scotland Based on Unlinked Anonymous Testing of Newborn Babies. Update

Abstract

In January 1990, unlinked anonymous testing of Guthrie cards for HIV antibody commenced in Scotland. Ethics Committee approval allowed testing of 99.6% of Scottish births. Twenty-one mothers spontaneously refused to allow testing of their baby's blood. Samples were coded by district postcodes. For 1990 through 1991, eluates of 132,531 dried blood spots were initially tested for HIV-1 antibody with the Fujirebio technique. Of the 49 positive samples 38 were confirmed to be positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot (seroprevalence 0.3 per 1000). Thirty-five of 38 samples came from large metropolitan areas in Scotland. Prevalences were 2.0 per 1000 for Edinburgh city, 0.7 per 1000 for Dundee and Aberdeen, 0.15 per 1000 for Glasgow and 0.05 per thousand for all other areas in Scotland. Recent spread of HIV infection to Aberdeen may have occurred. These figures do not support an overall increase of HIV infection in childbearing women in Scotland.