Maternal vitamin A deficiency is associated with increased mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Children generally acquire human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection through mother-to-child transmission. Currently, an estimated 1 million children are infected with HIV. A recent study in Malawi has shown that vitamin A status is an important risk factor for mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Among HIV-infected mothers a monotonic association between serum vitamin A and subsequent mother-to-child transmission rates was observed. The relative risk of HIV transmission was fourfold greater in mothers with serum vitamin A less than 0.70 mumol/L compared to those with serum vitamin A greater than 1.40 mumol/L.