HIV medication to prevent fetal infection during pregnancy

Abstract

When it has been declared a global epidemic, HIV infection became a challenge for medical world. Even if there is only one healed case cited in literature, treatment for HIV-infection have evolved during time leading to very good results in disease control and limitation of virus transmission. When it comes for viral transmission, an essential research topic became the prevention of mother to fetal transmission. In the long run, many discovered antiretroviral drugs proved to be efficient in controlling HIV infection during pregnancy and thereby in reducing the risk of viral transmission to the fetus. But along with use of the HIV-treatment in pregnancy, many questions have appeared. Are the drugs safe for the fetus, or are there any adverse pregnancy outcomes? Should the treatment be adjusted for the desired results in pregnancy, or should the initial treatment be changed when the pregnancy is diagnosed? Many retrospective or prospective observational studies and comparative studies have been conducted in order to answer those questions and to analyze the efficacy and the safety of mostly used antiretroviral drugs in pregnancy. This article reviews the existing studies, guidelines and recommendations regarding the combined antiretroviral HIV treatment during pregnancy for fetal infection prevention.