ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of in-utero exposure to HIV and ART on pregnancy outcome and early growth of children. METHODS: This cohort study enrolled 802 HIV-infected pregnant women between October 2009 and May 2018 in Guangzhou, China. The women were assigned to receive combination ART (cART) or mono/dual ART or no treatment. The primary outcomes were the combined endpoints of any adverse pregnancy outcome [including ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA)] and adverse early growth outcome (including infant death, HIV infection of mother-to-child transmission, and underweight, wasting and stunting of infants at 4 weeks of age). RESULTS: Adverse pregnancy outcomes occurred in 202 (35.1%) of all enrolled HIV-infected women, and 121 (31.3%) of all infants exhibited adverse effects on early growth at 4 weeks of age. The rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes, spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, infant death and perinatal HIV infection were higher among women not receiving ART, compared to those treated with cART or mono/dual ART (P < 0.05). However, women treated with cART had a higher rate of SGA, compared to untreated women (P < 0.05). No differences in early infant growth were observed among the different treatment regimens. CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore the essentiality of prioritizing HIV-positive pregnant women for ART, as even mono/dual ART available in resource-limited countries could improve pregnancy outcomes and infant survival..
