title: Effect of mode of delivery on vertical human papillomavirus transmission - A meta-analysis.
abstract: A systematic review of the literature has been conducted (last update March 2014) for clinical studies reporting the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the offspring of HPV-infected women in association to their mode of delivery. A meta-analysis was carried out according to the identification of concordant neonatal to maternal HPV types. Overall eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. Our pooled results, showed that caesarean section is associated with significantly lower rates of HPV transmission than vaginal birth (14.9% vs. 28.2%, risk ratio or RR: 0.515, 95% confidence interval or CI: 0.34-0.78). The number of caesarean sections needed to prevent one case of perinatal infection (number needed to treat or NNT) would be 7.5. As a conclusion it should be noted that caesarean section decreases the risk for perinatal HPV transmission by approximately 46%. Perinatal transmission still occurs in approximately 15% of the children born by caesarean section.
authors.affiliation: a Second Clinics of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokrateion General Hospital , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chatzistamatiou
authors.affiliation: a Second Clinics of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokrateion General Hospital , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sotiriadis
authors.affiliation: b Fourth Clinics of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokrateion General Hospital , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Agorastos
mesh_terms: D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D036801:Parturition; D011247:Pregnancy
keywords: Caesarean vs. vaginal delivery; human papillomavirus; perinatal HPV transmission; vertical HPV transmission