Research
Safety of Bictegravir in Pregnant PWH and their Infants
In this study, the authors explored the pharmacokinetics and safety of bictegravir in pregnancy and the postpartum period among maternal-infant pairs.Citation: Powis, K.M., Pinilla, M., McMorrow, F., Stek, A., Brooks, K.M., Shapiro, D.E., Knowles, K., Eke, A.C., Greene, E., Agwu, A., Topete, L.,…
Congenital Syphilis Cases in Serofast Maternal Patients
In this article, the authors describe four cases of congenital syphilis in infants born to mothers with serofast RPR testing at 1:4 to 1:8. They caution that infants might be at risk for congenital syphilis, despite being classified as "congenital syphilis unlikely" according to current syphilis…
Increases in Perinatal HIV Transmission in Maryland in 2022
The authors describe an increase in cases of perinatal transmission in Maryland in 2022, in which 6 cases of perinatal HIV diagnosis were recorded. They urge the importance of constancy in systems that eliminate barriers to care for pregnant people, in order to achieve and then sustain perinatal…
Birth Outcomes Following Bictegravir Exposure During Pregnancy
A study examining birth outcomes following exposure to bictegravir during pregnancy found no significant safety concerns for fetal bictegravir exposure among a United States cohort. The authors emphasize the need for comparative data and continued surveillance of outcomes among infants exposed to…
Emergency Department Screening and Diagnosis of Syphilis
The authors describe an opt-out syphilis screening intervention in the emergency department of a large urban hospital in Chicago. They report a dramatic increase in screening and diagnosis, especially among pregnant people where diagnosis increased 750% from 2 to 15 cases. They demonstrate that a…
Rising Stillbirth Rates Related to Congenital Syphilis in U.S.
The authors describe the rising stillbirth rates related to congenital syphilis in the United States from 2016-2022. They found that 1 in 20 pregnancies involving congenital syphilis resulted in stillbirth, and they warn of increases in the overall stillbirth rate nationally if the prevalence of…
Navigating Ethical Challenges of Infant Feeding Decisions in PLHIV
In this article, the authors summarize some of the key ethical issues that clinical providers should consider when caring for people living with HIV who are considering breastfeeding/chestfeeding their infants.Citation:Nightingale KJ, Lowenthal ED, Gross MS. When black and white turns gray:…
Advances in HIV Management During Pregnancy and Infant Feeding
The authors describe the key elements contributing to recent advances in HIV management during pregnancy and infant feeding. These include expanded HIV testing guidance, data favoring the use of preferred ART during pregnancy and breastfeeding, advocacy for the inclusion of pregnant people with HIV…
Safety of ARV Exposure During Pregnancy
The authors describe the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry and discuss critical data gaps. They urge all healthcare providers who care for pregnant individuals with HIV to participate in reporting ARV exposure to the registry.Citation:Short WR, Miller ES, Simone J, Statton A, Finocchario-Kessler S…
Missed Opportunities for Syphilis Treatment Among Pregnant People
Syphilis treatment among pregnant people in six U.S. states is explored and missed opportunities for prevention are identified. The role of social determinants of health and the need for syphilis screening outside of traditional prenatal care are discussed. The article and accompanying editorial…
New AAP Guidance on Infant Feeding for People with HIV
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a new clinical report providing guidance for pediatric providers about infant feeding for people living with HIV and at risk for HIV in the United States. They recommend that for people with HIV in the United States, avoidance of breastfeeding is the only…
Syphilis Complicating Pregnancy and Congenital Syphilis
In this review article in the New England Journal of Medicine, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of syphilis in pregnancy including epidemiology, pathogenesis, screening and diagnosis, treatment, and neonatal evaluation and management.Citation: Stafford IA, Workowski KA, Bachmann LH…
In Support of Breast/Chestfeeding by PWH in High-Income Settings
The authors present reasons for fully supporting breast/chestfeeding as a viable and safe feeding option for infants exposed to HIV in high-income settings. They address unanswered questions and the need to continually develop more nuanced clinical guidance on infant feeding and HIV.Citation:…
Diagnosis of Congenital Syphilis and Syphilis Among Females of Reproductive Age in Chicago
The authors examine missed congenital syphilis prevention opportunities in Chicago and whether they differed during the prepandemic era (2015–2019) compared with the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022).Citation:Cejtin HE, Warren EF, Guidry T, Boss K, Becht A, Tabidze I. Notes from the Field: Diagnosis of…
Missed Opportunities for Preventing Congenital Syphilis in the U.S.
The authors examine missed prevention opportunities and find that lack of timely testing and adequate treatment contributed to almost 90% of congenital syphilis cases in the United States in 2022, including substantial proportions of congenital syphilis cases in all U.S. Census Bureau regions and…
Multisite Study of Breastfeeding Among PWH in North America
This article describes a retrospective multisite study of individuals with HIV who breastfed during 2014–2022 in the United States and Canada. The findings demonstrate high variability among institutions in policies, infant prophylaxis, and infant and parental testing practices.Citation: Levison J…
Syphilis in Pregnancy Clinical Expert Review
The author reviews strategies that obstetrician–gynecologists can employ to fight the current rise in syphilis rates. They review clinical manifestations and management of syphilis in pregnancy, and detail both traditional and reverse sequence screening algorithms in the context of clinical…
Factors Associated with Congenital Syphilis at a Chicago Hospital
The authors describe factors associated with maternal syphilis and congenital syphilis at a public medical center in Chicago, Illinois.Citation:Thornton C, Chaisson LH, Bleasdale SC. Characteristics of pregnant women with syphilis and factors associated with congenital syphilis at a Chicago…
Implementation of Repeat Third Trimester HIV Testing in Illinois
The Perinatal HIV Hotline team recently published an article documenting the rapid, successful and sustained implementation of statewide repeat third trimester HIV testing in Illinois. The Illinois experience may benefit other states and jurisdictions implementing similar programs.
Citation…
Model for Management of Breastfeeding in Women with HIV in the U.S.
In this article, the authors describe an approach to managing care for breastfeeding women with HIV at a single large-volume site in the United States.
Citation:
Abuogi L, Smith C, Kinzie K. Development and implementation of an interdisciplinary model for the management of…
Best Practices for Infant Feeding for People with HIV in High Resource Settings
In this article, the authors set forth a multi-disciplinary approach for best practices to maximize risk reduction in infants whose birth parents choose to breast/chestfeed in high resource settings like the United States.
Citation:
Powell AM, Knott-Grasso MA, Anderson J, et al.…
Best Practices for Implementation of Breastfeeding for PWH
The authors describe the efforts at their institution to develop a structured shared decision-making process and protocol for successful implementation of breastfeeding for people living with HIV.Citation: Powell AM, Knott-Grasso MA, Anderson J et al., Infant feeding for people living with HIV in…
Perinatal HIV Transmission Is Being Eliminated in the U.S.
In this article, the authors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describe progress toward elimination of perinatal HIV in the United States and document that the ambitious elimination goals in the United States were first met in 2019.
Citation:
Lampe MA,…
ARV Treatment During Pregnancy
This new JAMA article describes the availability, timing, and risks of antiretroviral therapy in pregnant people with HIV.
Citation:
Eke AC, Lockman S, Mofenson LM. Antiretroviral treatment of HIV/AIDS during pregnancy. JAMA. 2023 Apr 18;329(15):1308-1309. …
Mindfulness Intervention for Pregnant and Parenting WLWH
The authors describe their experience conducting focus groups to inform the adaptation of a mindfulness intervention for pregnant and parenting women living with HIV. They detail the focus group experience exploring psychosocial treatment needs and mindfulness intervention preferences. …