[Treatment of HIV in Pregnancy - Progress Over One Decade]

Worldwide, 37 million people are infected with HIV; more than 50% are women. Currently, MTCT (mother-to-child transmission) can be reduced to<1%. The intention of the present study was to analyze the development of (1) the course of pregnancy of HIV-infected women, (2) the mode of delivery and (3) the post-exposure prophylaxis of the newborn over the last decade.

In this retrospective study, data from HIV-infected women who between 2005 and 2016 received care at the HIV outpatient department and gave birth at the Department of Obstetrics at University Hospital Bonn was analyzed. Furthermore, neonatal data was collected and HIV-MTCT was evaluated.

In the 2005-2016 study period, 87 pregnancies in 61 women were identified. Seventy babies were born alive at the Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Bonn. 53% of these women were of African origin. The median of CD4⁺ cell count was 510 cells/ml (IQR 444); however, 32 women (52%) had more than 500 cells/ml. During the antenatal period, the HI viral load had been suppressed completely in 77% of women (<50 HIV-1-RNA copies/ml) and was<400 HIV-1-RNA copies/ml in 92% of women. The elective cesarean section rate fell significantly from 77% in the years 2005-2011 to 58% in 2012-2016. The proportion of deliveries after 37 weeks of gestation increased markedly from 60% to 69% after 2012. Additionally, while between 2005-2011 the birth weight of 78% of the newborns was between the 10^th and 90^th percentile, this proportion increased to 92% after 2012. Fifty-four of 70 newborns (77%) were classified as having low to normal HIV transmission risk. A vertical HIV transmission from mother to child did not occur (0/70).

Between 2005 and 2016 no vertical HIV transmission from mother to child occurred (0/70). Due to the change in treatment strategy, the elective cesarean section rate fell significantly as well the rate of premature births. An optimal interdisciplinary collaboration builds the basis for successful treatment of HIV in pregnancy.