Perinatal Exposure to HIV Infection: The Experience of Craiova Regional Centre, Romania

Abstract

Background and objectives: HIV infection in pregnant women can be responsible for a number of consequences during pregnancy, such as: maternal anaemia, miscarriage, low birth weight, and preterm birth. The objectives of this study were to determine the maternal–foetal transmission rate of HIV among pregnant women living with HIV from Craiova Regional Centre in order to assess the risk factors for mother-to-child transmission of HIV and to identify the characteristics of newborns perinatally exposed to HIV. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2020, including children born to HIV-positive mothers. Results: The studied group included 138 newborns and was divided into two subgroups: group A, which included 10 HIV-infected infants; and group B, which included 128 uninfected infants. The mother-to-child transmission rate was 3.5% for women to whom all prophylaxis standards were applied. We found a statistically significant correlation between the level of maternal HIV viremia and perinatal HIV transmission (p = 0.01). Preterm birth and low birth weight were associated with perinatal transmission of the infection. Conclusions: Perinatal transmission of HIV infection during our study was associated with inconsistent application of screening for HIV infection among pregnant women, lack of antiretroviral therapy, poor adherence to treatment, and detectable HIV viral load during pregnancy.