Elective cesarean section delivery reduced the HIV-1 mother-to-child transmission rate by 80%

The objective of this study was to assess mother-to-child transmission rates of HIV in Brazil during the years 2000 and 2001, and to identify the maternal and neonatal variables that were associated with this transmission. It was a cross-sectional, observational study with retrospective data obtained from patient medical records. The children were followed at 63 medical sites situated in five geographical macro-regions of the country (20 States and the Federal Capital). Children enrolled were those that were born of HIV-infected mothers and it was necessary for the mothers to present documented proof of HIV-infection before or during pregnancy, at time of delivery or in the first three months after delivery. There were 2,924 children enrolled and mother-to-child transmission rates of HIV were 8.6% (95%CI: 7.2-10.2) for the year 2000 and 7.1% (95%CI: 5.8-8.6) for the year 2001. The following variables were associated with lower mother-to-child transmission rates of HIV: elective cesarean section, diagnosis of mother's infection before or during pregnancy, access to HIV viral load and T CD4+ lymphocyte count during prenatal care, greater birth weight and avoidance of breastfeeding.

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Mother-to-child transmission of different HIV-1 subtypes among ARV Naïve infected pregnant women in Nigeria

Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo ◽

10.1590/s0036-46652006000200004 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 77-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

G.N. Odaibo ◽

D.O. Olaleye ◽

L. Heyndrickx ◽

K. Vereecken ◽

K. Houwer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Hiv Transmission ◽

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Transmission Rate ◽

Mother To Child Transmission ◽

Child Transmission ◽

Peripheral Blood Mononuclear ◽

Informed Consent Form ◽

Mother To Child ◽

Hiv 1

The rate of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV as well as the implications of the circulating multiple subtypes to MTCT in Nigeria are not known. This study was therefore undertaken to determine the differential rates of MTCT of HIV-1 subtypes detected among infected pregnant women before ARV intervention therapy became available in Nigeria. Twenty of the HIV-positive women who signed the informed consent form during pregnancy brought their babies for follow-up testing at age 18-24 months. Plasma samples from both mother and baby were tested for HIV antibody at the Department of Virology, UCH, Ibadan, Nigeria. All positive samples (plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells - PBMCs) were shipped to the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium, where the subtype of the infecting virus was determined using the HMA technique. Overall, a mother-to-child HIV transmission rate of 45% was found in this cohort. Specifically, 36.4%, 66.7% and 100% of the women infected with HIV-1 CRF02 (IbNg), G and B, respectively, transmitted the virus to their babies. As far as it can be ascertained, this is the first report on the rate of MTCT of HIV in Nigeria. The findings reported in this paper will form a useful reference for assessment of currently available therapeutic intervention of MTCT in the country.

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