Obstetrics and Gynaecology Communications

Prevention of Maternal-Child HIV Transmission

Authors: 
Atul K. Patel (Assistant Professor) Department of Medicine, NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad, India

Summary

  • Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has already doubled infant mortality in countries worst affected and is a growing problem in India and south-east Asia.
  • Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) the aetiological agent of AIDS can be vertically transmitted during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
  • Key preventive strategies include family planning services for HIV-infected women as well as reducing transmission risk factors such as maternal vitamin A deficiency.
  • Antiretroviral drugs are a further option for pregnant women, with zidovudine (AZT) and more recently nevirapine (NVP) effectively reducing transmission rates.
  • NVP therapy offers a simple and affordable regimen and is therefore ideally suited for use in developing countries.
  • Elective caesarean section (ECS) also decreases the risk of perinatal HIV transmission, although the benefit of this procedure to the infant must be weighed against the increased risk to the immunocompromised mother.

Editor's Comment

Prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child is an important target and is discussed herein with reference to the needs of developing countries in particular.

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