Interventions to reduce HIV mother-to-child transmission

Dramatic advances have enabled us to protect many of the most innocent potential victims from the HIV pandemic. Current research is ongoing and several promising lines of inquiry are being investigated. As a summary, them are four strategies currently recommended to reduced HIV vertical transmission: universal voluntary HIV counseling and testing of pregnant women; treatment with zidovudine: and other antirretroviral drugs; obstetrical management attempting to minimize the infant's exposure to maternal blood and genital secretions; and avoidance of boast-feeding. It is clear that the management of the pregnant HIV-infected patient is becoming increasingly complex as new information arises. The management of those women is likely to be optimized by a multidisciplinary approach between the obstetrics specialist and the infectious disease specialist. Close collaboration between providers may allow optimal management of the patient's HIV infection, improve opportunities for counseling and adherence interventions, maximize viral suppression at delivery, and ultimately maintain postpartum adherence and neonatal care.