title: Management and treatment of HIV infected pregnant women in Poland.
abstract: Currently, in Poland the number of women infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is still increasing. The majority of them are in the reproductive age. It is well known that mother-to-child transmission of HIV can occur during pregnancy, delivery and postnatally through breastfeeding. The risk of transmission is related to maternal health, obstetric factors and infant prematurity. The management of pregnant women infected with HIV in Poland involves: recognizing HIV infection early by promoting HIV testing of all pregnant women; minimizing the risk of vertical transmission of HIV by using maternal antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy and labour, followed by six weeks of neonatal zidovudine therapy and performing elective caesarean section. Adequate care requires also specialized laboratory monitoring and appropriate psychological and social support. Some modifications of standards in routine care of pregnant HIV seropositive women are necessary. For HIV infected women more attention to pre-conception counselling should also be paid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute of Mother and Child, 17A Kasprzaka St., 01-211 Warsaw, Poland. niemiec@imid.med.pl
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niemiec
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oknińska
authors.forename: Asmaa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Midaoui
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011044:Poland; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015215:Zidovudine