Survival benefit of early infant antiretroviral therapy is compromised when diagnosis is delayed

Late presentation is common among African HIV-1-infected infants. Incidence and correlates of mortality were examined in 99 infants with HIV-1 diagnosis by age 5 months. Twelve-month survival was 66.8% (95% confidence interval, 55.9%, 75.6%). WHO stage 3/4, underweight, wasting, microcephaly, low hemoglobin, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis predicted mortality. Early HIV-1 diagnosis with ART before symptomatic disease is critical for infant survival.