The INFO Project Blog

Antiretrovirals (ARVs) given as prophylaxis reduce mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV by decreasing replication of HIV–and thus the amount of virus–in pregnant women and by protecting newborns during and after exposure to HIV. The simplest regimen, and the most practical and cost-effective regimen in resource-low settings, is a single dose of neviripine (NVP) given to the mother at the onset of labor plus a single dose for the infant soon after birth. This intervention can reduce MTCT by one-third.

The recent issue of Population Reports, “Family Planning Choices for Women With HIV” highlights what providers and women with HIV need to know about preventing mother-to-child transmission.

To date, studies have not found that ARVs given as prophylaxis during pregnancy for MTCT place mothers and infants at greater risk for serious or life-threatening events. There is a concern, however, that women who have received NVP during pregnancy will develop NVP-resistant mutations of HIV, which, if spread, would make it difficult to successfully treat infected mothers and their babies with NVP in the future.

The topic came to our attention today with news from AFP about reduced drug resistance in a new drug therapy.

The article discusses results of a recent clinical trial published in the latest issue of the Lancet. Researchers found that adding a single dose of tenofovir and emtriciabine (two other NNRTI ARVs) at delivery reduced maternal resistance to NNRTIs by 50%. The study notes that this finding is “especially relevant now that both drugs have been incorporated into first-line treatment in many African countries.”

These results are good news for mothers with HIV and for programs in resource-scarce settings. Adding the new single-dose combination to to the standard single-dose NVP treatments is a low-cost, feasible approach to protect the health of mothers with HIV and the health of their future children.

Click here for more resources on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Posted by Katie Richey, INFO Project