and suggests that antenatal testing could prevent a significant proportion ofvertical infection.In a recent survey of all obstetric units in the British Isles, 51% were offering HIV tests only to women perceived as being at risk, 3% to all women, and the remainder had no formal policy.3 Our results show that in south east England, only 17% of live births to infected women are recognised before delivery. There is therefore considerable scope for improvement in antenatal HIV testing programmes.We thank the obstetricians, midwives, paediatricians, and other physicians who have participated in the reporting schemes, microbiologists reporting HIV seropositive children to CDSC and CD(S), and T Berry for her clerical help. This study is supported by the AIDS Education and Research Trust (AVERT). The unlinked anonymous testing programme is supported by the Medical Research Council. The British Paediatric Surveillance Unit is supported by the Medical Research Fund of Children Nationwide.

Elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia for women infected with HIV-1 taking antiretroviral therapy was not associated with intraoperative or postoperative complications.

and suggests that antenatal testing could prevent a significant proportion ofvertical infection.In a recent survey of all obstetric units in the British Isles, 51% were offering HIV tests only to women perceived as being at risk, 3% to all women, and the remainder had no formal policy.3 Our results show that in south east England, only 17% of live births to infected women are recognised before delivery. There is therefore considerable scope for improvement in antenatal HIV testing programmes.We thank the obstetricians, midwives, paediatricians, and other physicians who have participated in the reporting schemes, microbiologists reporting HIV seropositive children to CDSC and CD(S), and T Berry for her clerical help.

No abstract