AIDS in pregnancy, part II: Treatment in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy and management of obstetric, anesthetic, and pediatric issues.

International guidelines recommend resistance testing of maternal virus for all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women. The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy leads to maximal virologic suppression, thus minimizing the risk of drug resistance, but it is available only in developed countries. In developing countries, the use of short-course regimens is becoming more widespread. Women infected with HIV may be at greater risk for complications during pregnancy, including ectopic pregnancy, early abortions, bacterial pneumonia, urinary tract infection, oral and recurrent vaginal thrush, malaria, and tuberculosis. Regional anesthesia is often the treatment of choice when administering anesthesia in an HIV-infected pregnant woman. Infected children present decreased survival rates, while uninfected children born to infected mothers present a higher incidence of poor weight gain, short stature, and wasting than would be expected for the general population. Transmission of HIV-1 can occur via breast-feeding.