Congenital human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the Bahamas.

In the 13-month period between June 1985 and July 1986, 27 children were found to be HIV positive in the Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau. Nineteen of the children had clinical AIDS, four were in the prodromal phase and four were symptom free. The clinical course of these infants is presented. Of the 18 mothers 16 were screened and were all seropositive and asymptomatic. They remained healthy in spite of subsequent pregnancies in nine of them (56%) during a follow-up period of between 13 and 65 months (mean 40 months). Fifteen of the 18 mothers were Haitian but only three had other risk factors, throwing doubt on the value of selective screening in Afro-Caribbean countries.