Medical determinants of vertical mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection: A literature review

Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a pressing global health problem, despite advances in antiretroviral therapy.Mother-to-child transmission remains a medical and social issue.Timely diagnosis, antiretroviral therapy, and a range of preventive measures can significantly reduce the risk of infection in children and improve their health.The purpose of this review article is to analyze and summarize current scientific evidence on the medical determinants of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and to evaluate the effectiveness of current prevention approaches. Methods:The study is based on the analysis of 87 domestic and foreign scientific sources (eLIBRARY, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science) for the period 2011-2025, selected using analytical, comparative, systemic and content analysis. Results:The key medical determinants of vertical HIV transmission include high viral load, immunodeficiency, late diagnosis, poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy, coinfections, and obstetric complications.Timely treatment of these factors significantly reduces the likelihood of mother-to-child transmission.Conclusions: Comprehensive prevention based on early HIV diagnosis, timely initiation of antiretroviral therapy, viral load monitoring, and risk factor management is key to preventing vertical transmission and maintaining maternal and child health.