Publications by authors named "Lauren F FitzHarris"
In May 2018, a study of birth defects in infants born to women with diagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Botswana reported an eightfold increased risk for neural tube defects (NTDs) among births with periconceptional exposure to antiretroviral therapy (ART) that included the integrase inhibitor dolutegravir (DTG) compared with other ART regimens (1). The World Health Organization* (WHO) and the U.S.
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- - The number of infants born with HIV in the U.S. has greatly decreased, nearing the CDC's goal of eliminating perinatal HIV transmission, thanks to increased use of antiretroviral drugs before and during pregnancy.
- - While mothers of HIV-exposed infants are increasingly diagnosed earlier and less likely to breast-feed, those with infants who have HIV generally receive less testing and prenatal care, and breast-feed more often.
- - The incidence of perinatal HIV is disproportionately higher among black infants compared to white infants, and even though the overall number of births to women with HIV has likely dropped since 2006, monitoring is necessary for health outcomes among reproductive-age adults with HIV and their children.
Objectives: The annual number of women with HIV infection who delivered infants in the United States was estimated to be 8700 in 2006. An accurate, current estimate is important for guiding perinatal HIV prevention efforts. Our objective was to analyze whether the 2006 estimate was consistent with the number of infants with HIV infection observed in the United States and with other data on perinatal HIV transmission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aimed to analyze prenatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing rates over time and describe the impact of state HIV testing laws on prenatal testing.
Methods: During 2004-2011, self-reported prenatal HIV testing data for women with live births in 35 states and New York City were collected. Prevalence of testing was estimated overall and by state and year.
Country of Birth of Children With Diagnosed HIV Infection in the United States, 2008-2014.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr
January 2018
Background: Diagnoses of HIV infection among children in the United States have been declining; however, a notable percentage of diagnoses are among those born outside the United States. The impact of foreign birth among children with diagnosed infections has not been examined in the United States.
Methods: Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National HIV Surveillance System, we analyzed data for children aged <13 years with diagnosed HIV infection ("children") in the United States (reported from 50 states and the District of Columbia) during 2008-2014, by place of birth and selected characteristics.
Article Synopsis
- Perinatal transmission of HIV can be reduced with antiretroviral treatments and better monitoring of missed prevention opportunities to help eliminate mother-to-child transmission.
- A study estimated the number of infants born with perinatal HIV in the U.S. using data from the National HIV Surveillance System covering 2002-2013, adjusted for delays in diagnosis and reporting.
- Results showed a significant decrease in annual perinatally infected infants from 216 in 2002 to 69 in 2013, with a notable percentage of infected mothers being black or Hispanic, and improvements in the proportion receiving comprehensive antiretroviral care.
Timely linkage to HIV care (LTC) following an HIV diagnosis is especially important for pregnant women with HIV to prevent perinatal transmission and improve maternal health. However, limited data are available on LTC among U.S.
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