Manifestations of pediatric AIDS: proposed mechanisms of transmission.

Pediatric Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is expected to increase by greater than 75% by 1993. Most of these infants will become infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) through the mother. It is unclear exactly how the virus is passed from mother to child. The nature of HIV infection is described in this paper, and several mechanisms relevant to its transfer are proposed.