Prevention measures for vertical HIV transmission: monitoring infected pregnant women and exposed children

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: to present an analysis of the follow-up of exposed children and pregnant women living with HIV who are assisted in a reference public healthcare service of a Brazilian capital. Methods: this is a cross-sectional study with sociodemographic and clinical data obtainedfrom physical and electronic medical records of women living with HIV and exposed children, treated between 2000 and 2018, in a secondary healthcare service. For associations, the chi-square test at 5% significance was used. Results: the data about 183 pregnancies and 214 children from the capital or other municipalities in the state were analyzed. The women have low schooling, are brown or black, single, multiparous, diagnosed with HIV during prenatal care, with the start of follow-up from the third trimester of pregnancy and the use of prophylaxis during childbirth. As for children, the associations were significant for notification on SINAN, admission to the health service, use of prophylaxis indicating better monitoring for those who live in the state capital. Conclusions: the prevention measures recommended by the Ministry of Health, in general, were followed, but children and pregnant women who live in other cities were worse off than those ones in the capital. Unnotified cases were identified on SINAN. These issues may contribute to new cases of vertical transmission of HIV.