Abstract

Introduction: HIV-positive pregnant women could present different pregnancy complications related to both their immunological status and retroviral therapy. Objective: To relate the immunological parameters with the obstetric complications presented by pregnant women seropositive to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) attended in a Venezuelan maternity hospital. Method: A retrospective correlational study, where a sample of 161 HIV-positive pregnant women was studied; analyzing obstetric complications, CD4+ count and viral load. Results: The most common maternal pathologies were: anemia (57.76%); while fetal and ovular complications prevailed low birth weight (13.04%) and premature rupture of membranes (13.04%), respectively. A higher and significant frequency of morbidities was evidenced in women with CD4+= 200-499 cells/ml and viral load >1,000 copies/ml for most pathologies; a lower CD4+ count was associated with a highly significant risk of presenting pathologies such as anemia (OR= 14.44; 95%CI 05.94-35.08), low birth weight (OR= 5.94; 95%CI 02 0.05-17.20) and urinary tract infection (OR= 3.38; 95% CI 1.74-6.55). Viral load was not associated with increased risk of obstetric complications. Conclusions: HIV infection is associated with a higher risk of obstetric complications in relation to immunological status.