Feasibility of Infant Cord Blood HIV Testing for Anti-Retroviral Post-Exposure Prophylaxis

Background: Many maternity hospitals in developing country settings deliver women who are of unknown HIV status. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the acceptability of post-partum infant cord blood HIV testing and the subsequent uptake of interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study among infants delivered to women of unknown HIV status at the maternity ward of the Kenyatta National hospital; Kenya. At the time of delivery; five milliliters of cord blood was collected from consecutive singleton-birth infants born to women with unknown HIV status. After delivery; the women were counseled and consent was sought for HIV antibody testing of the cord blood. Anti-retroviral post-exposure prophylaxis was provided for HIV exposed infants and their mothers counseled on infant feeding. Results: Overall 220 (87) of the 253 mothers gave consent for HIV testing. This included 35 (90) of 40 mothers of babies with HIV positive cord blood and 184 (86.4) of 213 with HIV negative cord blood. Seventeen (48.6) of the 35 women who knew their status accepted to administer anti-retroviral prophylaxis to their infants; and 28 (80) chose to breast-feed their infants. Conclusions: Infant cord blood testing is highly acceptable among women who deliver with an unknown HIV status and provides an additional entry point for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV

Eclampsie : pronostic foeto-maternel a propos de 509 cas colliges a la maternite du CHU de Treichville

Notre etude est retrospective et a porte sur 509 patientes ayant presente une crise d'eclampsie au cours de la grossesse; du travail et dans le post-partum Elle ont ete admises en salle de travail de la maternite du CHU de Treichvillle pendant la periode du 1er Janvier 1990 au 31 Decembre 1999 soit une periode de 10 ans.*La frequence de la crise d'eclampsie au cours de cette periode est de 1;16pour cent*Il s'agit de patientes :-Jeunes: moins de 20 ans (51;47pour cent)-Primipares : 51;81pour cent-De niveau socio-economique bas-avec une absence ou une mauvaise qualite de la surveillance prenatale; 63;26pour cent ont moins de 3 CPN-les crise survenant; pendant la saison pluvieuse 62.05pour cent*Ie traitement a ete essentiellement base sur le diazepam comme auticonvulsivant et hvdralazine comme .antihypertenseur.*Sur le plan obstetrical-accouchement par voie basse a eu lieu dans 39.09pour cent des cas;-la cesarienne ete faite chez 60.91pour cent des patientes.*La duree moyenne d'hospitalisation est de 8 jours avec des extremes de 10 minutes a 45 jours*la letalite maternelle est de 10.81pour cent avec comme facteurs de pronostic:-I'eclampsie de l'ante-partum : 13;07pour cent de deces-l'age maternel : 25pour cent de deces chez les patientes agees de plus de 35 ans.-La parite:38pour cent de deces chez les patientes multipares.-L'age gestationnel: 33pour cent de deces si l'eclampsies survient avant le 7eme mois de la grossesse.*La letalite perinatale est de 39.29pour cent avec comme facteurs de pronostic:-l'eclampsie survenant avant le 7eme mois de la grossesse est responsable de 90;57pour cent des deces fotaux.*La prematurite et l'hypotrophie sont responsables de 44;14pour cent des deces foetaux sont survenus quant le nombre de crises est superieur a 7 avant l'accouchement.L'H.T.A severe est responsable de 72;41pour cent de deces foetaux

Purification and Partial Characterization of Goat Placenta IgG : a Possible Model for the Study of Human Maternal-Foetal Interaction

Viviparous pregnancy in vertebrates is a major immunological puzzle. Ideally the maternal immune system should reject the foetus; which is antigenically different by virtue of its compliment of paternal genes and proteins. Instead the mother accommodates the foetus until term. This is partly thought to result from production of blocking antibodies; down regulation of the maternal immune responses and existence of a placental barrier among others. This report presents findings that antibodiess exist on goat placentae that could hypothetically block rejection of the fetal allograft. The total obtainable placental IgG was approximately 110Ug per term placenta. Analysis of eluate antibodies by SDS PAGE showed that placental IgG is approximately 214.4kDa and had a pI of 6.02. Trypsin digestion of acidified plantal microvesicles led to release of a 53kDa peptide similar to one reported earlier in humans. This observation suggest that certain placental proteins may be conserved across the mammalian species for reproductive purposes. We propose that goat placental IgG may be useful as a model for the study of maternal-foetal interaction during pregnancy

Perinatal pharmacology 1 (W.A.P.M.C.): effects of maternally-administered drug (before and during parturition) on foetal and neonatal well-being

"The so called ""placental barrier"" is no barrier to most drugs; except very large macromolecules e.g. heparin. For most drugs the placenta acts more like a sieve. Soluble free (unbound) drugs go through. Even some plasma protein-bound drugs can exchange unto placenta tissue protein and get across to the foetal side. Therefore; the foetus is generally exposed simultaneously to maternally-administered drugs."