ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
|
Year : 2013 | Volume
: 1
| Issue : 2 | Page : 70-76 |
|
Appraisal of repeat intrapartum human immunodeficiency virus screening in a prevention of mother-to-child transmission program in Nigeria
Joseph U. E. Onakewhor1, Abieyuwa Osemwenkha1, Ochuko Ovbagbedia1, Austine I Omoigberale2, Wilson E Sadoh2, Alash'le Abimiku3, Man Charurat3
1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin, Edo, Nigeria 2 Department of Child Health, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin, Edo, Nigeria 3 Department of Child Health, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
Correspondence Address:
Joseph U. E. Onakewhor Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Benin and University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City - 300 001, Edo, Nigeria.
![Login to access the Email id](http://www.medknow.com/images/email.gif) Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None ![Crossref citations](http://www.medknow.com/journals/images/crossref.png) | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2321-9157 .126634
|
|
Objective: The objective of the study is to determine whether retesting for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in labor is important in Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A prospective cohort study involving 400 antenatal women who tested HIV-negative at booking in an obstetric unit of a university college hospital in Nigeria were retested in labor at least 12 weeks from initial tests. Seropositive mothers and exposed infants had antiretroviral prophylaxis and were followed-up. Main outcome measures were rate of acceptance to rescreen, incidences of seroconversion, mother-to-child transmission and associated factors. Results: Majority 96.4% (400/415) accepted whereas 3.6% (15/400 N) declined retesting on the grounds of a previous negative result. The seroconversion rate was 0.25%. Maternal age ≥25 years (OR = 5.0), secondary and post-secondary education (OR = 622.4) and parity ≥1 (OR = 17.2) were significant factors for acceptance to rescreen whereas occupation (P = 0.25) and marital status (P = 0.23) were not. The only HIV-exposed infant from the seroconverted mother was not breastfed and tested negative at 6 and 12 weeks using deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase chain reaction. Conclusion: The rate of seroconversion was low, but perinatal HIV infection was averted. Supposedly low-risk women could seroconvert and cause vertical transmission (VT). Retesting may still be important in resource-constrained settings to identify women with recent infection, institute appropriate interventions to avert VT thereby achieving the international goal of "no new HIV infection by 2015". Although a large multicenter study to evaluate our findings is ongoing, studies to determine the cost-benefits of such interventions are justified. |
|
|
|
[FULL TEXT] [PDF]* |
|
![Email this article](/ServeContent?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.j-hhr.org%2Ftemplates%2Ficon_mail.gif) |
|