Abstract

Pediatric antiretroviral therapy (ART), changed the prognosis of the disease, allowing young women infected by vertical transmission (TV) to be pregnant without risk for their fetus of acquiring this infection. Aim: To describe the clinical-immune status in pregnant women that acquired HV by vertical transmission, treatments received, monitoring of pregnancy and newborn characteristics. Material and Methods: A protocol was performed, evaluating clinical and immunological parameters during pregnancy, ART used, protocol preventing vertical transmission (PPTV), and follow up of children to 18 months of age. Results: Of 358 HIV-positive patients vertically infected, five women became pregnant, between 14 and 24 years old. Pregnancies were controlled in clinical/immune-stage N2 C3. They had received two to five therapies. Full PPTV was performed in all binomials. Pre-natal undetectable viral loads ranged from 4,700 ARN copies/mL. Five living children were born by Caesarean section, four of them with 37 weeks of completed gestation and one of them with 34 weeks of gestation. All received zidovudine (AZT) for 6 weeks. CD4 at 72 hours of life ranged from 48% to 74.6%. All children were born uninfected with HIV. Only two had mild anemia. Conclusions: Expectations of HIV mothers vertically infected to have healthy children are similar to those infected by horizontal transmission, using PPTV.