Experience of delivering women with HIV in an inner city London hospital 1994–2004

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare deliveries in women with HIV at Homerton University Hospital with those in the general antenatal hospital population. The study was a retrospective case-note review of deliveries from 1994 to 2004 at an Inner City London Hospital, UK (Homerton University Hospital). In all, 113 deliveries were studied in 98 women with HIV. Compared with the general antenatal population, women with HIV were more likely to be from African backgrounds, describe inadequate housing and be without the support of a partner or family; 79.8% of deliveries in women with HIV were by caesarean section in comparison with 22.4% in the overall hospital population. A majority of women with HIV received antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy. Intercurrent medical and antenatal complications were uncommon and in a majority the postpartum periods were uncomplicated. A significantly higher proportion of women with HIV infection described a previous history of depression than in the general hospital population. There were two instances of vertical transmission of HIV. In conclusion, our observations suggest that with appropriate monitoring and management strategies, successful pregnancy outcomes can be achieved in a complex HIV-positive patient population.