[Efficiency and side effects of antiretroviral treatment of HIV infected pregnant women].
OBJECTIVE
Antiretroviral treatment (ART) of pregnant women and newborn reduces the vertical HIV transmission below 2 % but long term effects are still not clear.


METHODS
We analyzed the data of 59 children born to HIV infected women.


RESULTS
The median observation time was 404 (14-740) days. There was no vertical HIV transmission (95 %-confidence interval [CI] 0-5.1 %). Among 6 children without prenatal ART one child with congenital diaphragmatic hernia was born. In 53 infants with prenatal ART we observed 19 congenital malformations (35.8 %, 95 %-CI 23.2-50.6 %). Three were severe malformations (5.7 %, 95 %-CI 1.2-15.5 %): one supraorbital hemangioma (after zidovudine), one athetoid cerebral palsy without evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction (after zidovudine), and one unilateral femoral hypoplasia (after short term zidovudine, lamivudine, and efavirenz in late pregnancy). Sixteen minor malformations were found (30.1 %, 95 %-CI 21.2-43.8 %): ventricular septal defect (closed spontaneously after 6 months), atrial septal defect, transient and persistent pulmonary stenoses, hexadactylies, unilateral hearing impairment, dystopic kidney, subependymal bleeding cysts, and mild dilation of ventricles.


CONCLUSIONS
ART prevents vertical HIV transmission. All women should be advised ART during pregnancy and delivery. The prevalence of malformations after prenatal/perinatal ART appears considerably high. Therefore, detailed information for the parents and long term follow-up of all children exposed to antiretroviral drugs are crucial.
Simon
T
T
Universitätskinderklinik, Zentrum für Kinderonkologie und -hämatologie, Klinikum der Universität zu Köln, Cologne. thorsten.simon@medizin.uni-koln.de
Funke
A-M
AM
Hero
B
B
Reiser-Hartwig
S
S
Fuhrmann
U
U
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents