New ACTG 076 Analysis Emphasizes Importance of Offering AZT Therapy to all HIV-Infected Pregnatn Women

11/25/96 10:36 %301 496 0019 NIH NEWS-2B25/31 10005/005

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AIDS cases. These new data confirm what earlier research had indicated -- that routine and
universal counseling and voluntary testing, combined with AZT therapy is highly effective in
preventing the perinatal transmission of HIV.
"The demonstration that AZT reduces perinatal HIV transmission is clearly one of the
most significant research advances to date in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and has opened
the door to major prevention efforts that have reduced the number of new cases of pediatric
HIV infection," says Dr. Fauci.
By late 1995, more than 1.5 million children worldwide had been infected with HIV, a
figure that may grow to 10 million by the year 2000, according to the World Health Organization.
More than 90 percent of children with HIV infections contracted the virus from their HIV-infected
mothers. In the United States, 7,472 cases of AIDS among children younger than 13 years had
been reported to the CDC as of Sept. 30, 1996. HIV infection ranks seventh among leading
causes of death for children aged one to 14 years. In many cities in the eastern United States,
HIV disease is the leading cause of death among children ages two to five.
NIAID and NICHD are components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIAID
conducts and supports research to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as HIV disease
and other sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, asthma and allergies. NICHD conducts
and supports laboratory, clinical and epidemiological research on the reproductive,
neurobiologic, developmental, social and behavioral processes that determine and maintain the
health of children, adults, families and populations. NIH is an agency of the Public Health
Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
NIAID press releases, fact sheets and other materials are available on the Internet via the
NIAID home page at http://www.nlaid.nih.gov.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious IDiseascs
is a comnponent of the National Institutes of Health,
U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesS