Impact of Multiple Pregnancies on HIV in Mothers
Author Information
Author(s): William R. Robinson, Dan Wiley, Russ Van Dyke
Primary Institution: Tulane University School of Medicine
Hypothesis
What is the effect of successive pregnancies on the course of maternal HIV infection and perinatal transmission rates?
Conclusion
Successive pregnancies do not significantly alter the course of HIV infection in asymptomatic women, but second-born infants may be at higher risk for perinatal transmission.
Supporting Evidence
- The CD4 counts in the multiple-pregnancy group fell from 595 to 460.
- Five of 5 second-born infants of known serostatus were HIV-infected compared to 8 of 21 first-born infants.
- The differences in CD4 counts between the study and control groups were not significant.
Takeaway
Having more than one baby when a mom has HIV doesn't seem to make her sickness worse, but the second baby might be more likely to get HIV.
Methodology
A retrospective analysis comparing 32 pregnancies in 14 HIV-infected women with a matched control group of women who had been pregnant only once.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to cultural factors influencing the decision to have multiple pregnancies despite HIV infection.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and a low power analysis, which may affect the reliability of the results.
Participant Demographics
All participants were African American women diagnosed with HIV.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.1476
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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