2nd National Conference Human Retroviruses and Related Infections Washington, DC - January 29 - February 2, 1995

Natl Conf Hum Retrovir Relat Infect 1995 Jan 29-Feb 2;2: (abstract no. 12)

Kuhn L, Bobat R, Coutsoudis A, Moodley D, Coovadia HM, Tsai WY, Stein Z
Columbia University, New York; University of Natal, South Africa

Children of 235 HIV-infected women who delivered at King Edward Hospital, Durban, South Africa between 1990 and 1993 were followed until 18 months of age to determine their HIV status. Information was abstracted from hospital records on mode of delivery, and if caesarean, the reason for the procedure and the status of membranes prior to the procedure was recorded. Compared to vaginal deliveries, caesarean sections undertaken in the event of twins or with the concurrent complication of antepartum haemorrhage, were not associated with a reduced risk of transmission (OR=1.80 95% CI 0.59-5.53); whereas caesarean deliveries in which these complications were absent were associated with a reduced risk of HIV transmission (OR=0.34 95% CI 0.13-0.89). If a caesarean section was undertaken with membranes intact, fewer infants were infected than if the procedure was undertaken following prior spontaneous rupture of membranes, although differences are not significant. The circumstances surrounding caesarean deliveries may influence the risk of maternal-infant HIV transmission.

Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Cesarean Section, Child, Delivery, Obstetric, Disease Transmission, Vertical, Female, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Humans, Infant, Mothers, Obstetric Labor Complications, Pregnancy, South Africa, surgery, transmission

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1995-01-29
12

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