Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Sequencing of Bacterial Microflora in Peripheral Blood: our Experience with HIV-infected Patients
Published on: June 11, 2011
Clinical and Epidemiologic Characteristics of a Cohort of HIV-Infected Mother-Infant Pairs During 21 Years
Marta Illán Ramos1,2, Luis Manuel Prieto Tato3, Sara Guillén Martín2,4
1Department of Paediatrics, Hospital Universitario Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Background:
HIV infection continues to be a worldwide public health problem. After the introduction of effective preventive measures, perinatal transmission dramatically decreased. Our aim was to assess the sociodemographic changes in pregnant women living with HIV infection and trends in perinatal transmission rates over time.
Setting:
The Madrid cohort of HIV-infected mother-infant pairs is a multicenter, prospective, observational, and cohort study that collects information on HIV-infected pregnant women and their children.
Methods:
Information on clinical-epidemiological characteristics of HIV-infected pregnant women until delivery and their children from 9 public hospitals was included. Data were collected from a standardized questionnaire from medical records. The results were classified in 3 periods: period 1 (P1) 2000-2006, period 2 (P2) 2007-2013, and period 3 (P3) 2014-2020.
Results:
A total of 1521 women living with HIV and 1548 newborns were included. In P1, most mothers (75.8%) were Spanish, whereas in P2 and P3 there was a predominance of foreign origin [62.8% and 70.5% respectively ( P < 0.01)]. The percentage of women with antiretroviral treatment before pregnancy increased significantly in P3 ( P < 0.01). The proportion of Caesarean sections decreased over time ( P < 0.01): 66.2% (n = 472) in P1, 54.9% (n = 245) in P2, and 46.7% (n = 141) in P3. The percentage of preterm and low birth weight newborns showed a statistically significant decrease. Even though there were no statistically significant differences ( P = 0.154), a decrease in cases of perinatal infection was observed (1.6% in P1, 1.3% in P2 and 0.3% in P3).
Conclusions:
The epidemiologic characteristics of pregnant women with HIV infection have changed over time in our setting, with an increase of non-Caucasian, heterosexual, and perinatally infected mothers. Although there are still perinatal infections, especially in vulnerable populations such as immigrant women, transmission rate has markedly decreased in recent years and is still of major concern. Prevention measures should be reinforced in the most socially disadvantaged groups.
Related Concept Videos
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Longitudinal Research
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...
Prevalence and Incidence
Prevalence indicates the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or health condition at a...
Development of Human Microbiota
Cytomegalovirus Disease

