An Attempt to Decrease Maternal Hiv Through Examination of Its Predictors

AN ATTEMPT TO DECREASE MATERNAL HIV THROUGH EXAMINATION OF ITS PREDICTORS

INTRODUCTION

Maternal HIV infection continues to be a problem worldwide. According to

Boston Children's Hospital, "There are between 6,000 to 7,000 children who are born to

HIV-infected mothers each year in the United States alone. Many of theses children were

infected during pregnancy, birth, or through breast feeding. The aim of this project is to

examine decreasing the spread of the virus, by understanding its predictors. I will

research maternal HIV and many of its determinants through the use of statistical

analysis.

DATA DESCRIPTION

The data was gathered from a study that was approved by the New York State

Department of Health in 1995. 30 HIV infected women enrolled in an investigative study

to test mother-to-child HIV transmission. The study was conducted at Stony Brook

Hospital in Stony Brook, NY and St. Joseph's Medical Center in Patterson, NJ. The

study measured factors that predict a transmission-positive family versus factors that

predict a transmission-negative family.

DEFINITION OF THE VARIABLES

(Maternal HIV Transmission=HIV-1 RNA levels+cd4 cells+cd8+AZT)

The dependant variable in this study is maternal HIV infection. "In 2009, around

400,000 children under 15 became infected with HIV, mainly through mother-to-child

transmission."(International HIV and Aids Charity) The dependant variable is

determined by independent variables including the amount of HIV-1 RNA levels in the

mother, amount of cd4 cells present in the mother, the amount of cd8 cells present in the

mother, and whether or not the mother was using any antiviral medications.

The primary independent variable, or X1, is HIV-1 RNA levels (expressed in

copies per ml) of the expectant mother. The reason this measure of the mother's viral

load is so important is because it determines how much active HIV is in the blood.

The level of HIV-1 RNA can take on any range of values therefore we define it as a

continuous variable. We must also report the correlation coefficient for this variable as

positive, which means that higher levels in the viral load indicate an infection to the

The second independent variable, or X2, is amount of cd4 cells present in the

mother (expressed in cells per mm³). According to The Aids InfoNet (2010), "When HIV

infects humans, the cells it infects most often are cd4 cells. The virus becomes part of

the cells, and when they multiply to fight an infection, they also make more copies of

HIV."(Para 2) The level of cd4 cells can take on any range of values therefore

we define it as a continuous variable. We must also report the correlation coefficient for

this variable as positive, since studies have found a potential association between the

level of cd4 cells and HIV transmission.

The third independent variable, or X3, is amount of cd8 cells present in the

mother