Mother-to-child transmission of drug-resistant HIV

G H Kijak1, M M Avila, H Salomón

  • 1National Center for AIDS, Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV-I is responsible for the infection of hundreds of thousands of infants every year. The use of prophylactic antiretroviral treatments has brought about a dramatic decrease in the risk of transmission. Nevertheless, vertical transmission can still occur. In some cases, the presence of drug-resistant HIV-I strains in the mother has been responsible for the failure of the prophylactic scheme. Moreover, these strains have also been detected in the newborn. The aim of this review is to provide updated information on mother-to-child transmission of drug-resistant HIV strains and to help guide treatment decisions during pregnancy.

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