Bruckova M, Vandasova J, Maly M, Stankova M, Rozsypal H; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12; 14: abstract no. ThPeC7432.
National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic
BACKGROUND: To establish: a) spread of HIV infection in pregnant women b) rate of mother to child HIV transmission in the Czech Republic (CR) in 1990-2001. It is estimated that more than 95% of pregnant women are undergoing HIV tests in CR, a Central European country with low level of HIV epidemic. METHODS: HIV 1/2 antibody and confirmatory tests were carried out routinely. HIV positive women were given antiretroviral treatment. All of them delivered by Caesarian section. AZT treatment of newborns started to be used in the CR even before the prophylactic scheme was globaly implemented. The virus load in pregnant women was followed up and qualitative PCR for HIV DNA and quantitative PCR for HIV RNA were used to establish the HIV status of newborns. RESULTS: Since 1990 a total of 1.602 052 HIV antibody tests were performed in pregnant women, 39 of them tested HIV positive. Moreover, 18 women got pregnant after first HIV positive diagnosis. Forty HIV positive mothers gave birth to 42 babies. In three newborns (7,14%) HIV infection was diagnosed. All three mothers of HIV positive newborns avoided the antiretroviral treatment from different reasons (two of them were asylum seeking foreigners) and had a very high virus load before and during delivery. CONCLUSION: Antiretroviral prophylaxis reduces the mother to child HIV transmission if administered to both, pregnant women and their newborns, as needed. High virus load in mother, especially during delivery, may predict HIV transmission to the newborn baby. HIV testing of pregnant women and prophylactic treatment of those who tested HIV positive as well as HIV prophylaxis in newborns play a very important role in reducing HIV mother to child transmission. HIV antibody routine testing of pregnant women is a rather costly but highly beneficial policy even in the Czech Republic, which belongs to the countries with low level of HIV epidemic.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- AIDS Vaccines
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Child
- Czech Republic
- Delivery, Obstetric
- Disease Transmission, Vertical
- Europe
- Female
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Humans
- Infant
- Infant, Newborn
- Mothers
- Pregnancy
- Zidovudine
- surgery
- transmission
Other ID:
UI: 102256651
From Meeting Abstracts