Comparison of 6-week PMTCT outcomes for HIV-exposed and HIV-unexposed infants in the era of lifelong ART

Overview

This study compared outcomes from birth to 6 weeks in HIV- exposed and HIV-unexposed infants after adoption of universal ART for all pregnant women in routine service delivery in Lesotho. The PMTCT program was very successful, with birth and 6 week transmission rates of only 0.9% and 1.0% respectively. While there was no difference in still births and early mortality, HIV-exposed infants were more likely to be premature. Importantly, of the five mothers who transmitted HIV to their infants and had a viral load result at delivery, four had a viral load > 100,000 copies/ml, demonstrating the importance of achieving viral suppression in pregnant women before delivery.