Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was first recognized in the United States in 1981, with global spread in the last four decades. Although the number of new infections in children is decreasing, it still remains unacceptably high, causing severe immunosuppression if treatment is not carried out in a timely manner. OBJECTIVES: to describe the epidemiological profile of pediatric patients vertically exposed to HIV treated at a tertiary referral hospital in Santa Catarina. METHOD: an epidemiological, observational, analytical, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection from January 2015 to December 2020 by CID Z 206 (contact with and exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus - HIV). The research was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee on Human Beings (CEP) of the institution. RESULTS: There were 678 medical records analyzed, with 579 (85.4%) white, 348 (51.0%) males, mean age of 324 days and maternal diagnosis of HIV prior to pregnancy in 434 (64.0%) cases. Most of these, 601 (88.6%), used antiretroviral therapy. Viral RNA (viral load) in 414 (61.0%) pregnant women was undetectable and 376 (55.4%) underwent intravenous zidovudine at delivery. The first viral load of those exposed was undetectable in 606 (89.3%) patients and 667 (98.3%) were not breastfed. Fourteen patients (2%) confirmed HIV infection, and all started antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSION: Most pregnant women living with HIV had adequate prenatal care, however, with a high prevalence of syphilis. The rate of HIV-positive newborns was equivalent to the literature, but with incomplete prenatal care.