AEGiS-14IAC: The impact of hiv infection on maternal morbidity and mortality at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

The impact of hiv infection on maternal morbidity and mortality at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. B10193)

Kanyenda JT, Kumwenda NI, Lema VM
Johns Hopkins Project, Blantyre, Malawi

BACKGROUND: Aimed at determining the possible impact of HIV infection on maternal morbidity and mortality.

METHODS: Subjects wer enrolled upon admission in the labour ward or soon after delivery, and followed up till discharge from hodspital and for six weeks postpartum. Demographic, reproductive profiles, history of hiv related health problems prior were obtained through interviews. women out come of the pregnancy was obyained, and blood for HIV and Syphilis screening was collected.

RESULTS: Of the total 1020 subjects enrolled, 265(26%) were HIV seropositive. HIV postive women had more health problems during pregnancy such as herpes zoster(5.0% vs o.3%),abnormal vaginal dscharge(7.3% vs 3.6%), bubos (4.2% vs 1.5%), teberculosis(1.9% vs 0.3%), fevers(31.4 vs 18.9%), genital ulcer disease on admission. Babies born to seropositive mothers were on average 550 grams lighter, and there were more prenatal daeths among the seropositives(6.4% vs 3.8%).

CONCLUSION: The women who were hiv positive had more health problems in the course of pregnancy, in the intrapartum, and postpartum periods. Hence hiv infection has an influence or impact on maternal morbidity and mortality.

Keywords: AEGIS, Morbidity, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Mothers, Infant Mortality, Syphilis, Survival Rate, Puerperium, Maternal Mortality, Malawi, Human, Female, Infant, Pregnancy, mortality, epidemiology

020707
B10193