title: Higher rates of post-partum complications in HIV-infected than in uninfected women irrespective of mode of delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To inform the debate on the use of elective caesarean section (CS) delivery in HIV-infected women, we investigated the occurrence of clinical events in the immediate post-partum period in women delivering in 13 European centres.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two separate matched case-control studies (vaginal and elective CS deliveries) among infected women (cases) and uninfected controls delivering between 1992 and 2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence of minor and major post-partum complications was assessed overall for infected and uninfected women; within mode of delivery group (vaginal/CS) the complication rates of infected cases were compared with uninfected controls in a matched analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall complication rates were 29.2% (119 of 408) for HIV-infected women, 19.4% (79 of 408) for uninfected women, 42.7% (135 of 316) for CS deliveries and 12.6% (63 of 500) for vaginal deliveries. There were no major complications in women delivering vaginally; but, compared with controls, HIV-infected cases were at increased risk of puerperal fever [odds ratio (OR), 4.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.55-13.07), especially after medio-lateral episiotomy. In the CS group, there were six major complications (five among cases, one control) (OR, 5.1; 95% CI, 0.58-45) and cases had an increased risk of minor complications (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.22-2.41) compared with controls, mainly anaemia not requiring blood transfusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HIV-infected pregnant women are at increased risk of post-partum complications regardless of mode of delivery, but modification of clinical practice, particularly use of prophylactic antibiotics, would reduce this risk. Infected women should be informed about risks of vertical transmission and post-partum complications, and be involved in mode of delivery decisions.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK. m.newell@ich.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: Marie-Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Newell
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thorne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011645:Puerperal Infection / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012306:Risk