Publications by authors named "Lauren Fitz Harris"

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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Article Synopsis
  • - 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.
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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.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend universal prenatal HIV testing to prevent perinatal HIV transmission in the U.S.; since the 1990s perinatal HIV transmission has declined.

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Objective: 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.

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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.

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Article Synopsis
  • The CDC aims to reduce perinatally acquired HIV infection to less than 1:100,000 live births in the U.S., which has only recently been feasible due to improved data collection.
  • Between 1978 and 2013, the estimated incidence of this infection reached a peak of 43.1 per 100,000 live births in 1992, before starting to decline due to the introduction of zidovudine prophylaxis in 1994.
  • By 2013, the incidence had significantly decreased to 1.8 per 100,000 live births, reflecting a 96% reduction since the peak.
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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.
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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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Objectives: We identified the level and type of program collaboration and service integration (PCSI) among HIV prevention programs in 59 CDC-funded health department jurisdictions.

Methods: Annual progress reports (APRs) completed by all 59 health departments funded by CDC for HIV prevention activities were reviewed for collaborative and integrated activities reported by HIV programs for calendar year 2009. We identified associations between PCSI activities and funding, AIDS diagnosis rate, and organizational integration.

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Purpose Of Review: To describe progress and challenges to elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission (EMCT) in high-income countries.

Recent Findings: Despite ongoing declines in the number of perinatally HIV-infected infants in most high-income countries, the number of HIV-infected women delivering may be increasing, accompanied by apparent changes in this population, including higher percentages with antiretroviral 'pretreatment' (with possible antiretroviral resistance), other coinfections, mental health diagnoses, and recent immigration. The impact of antiretroviral resistance on mother-to-child transmission is yet to be defined.

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The purpose of this study was to estimate prenatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening rates prior to and on admission to labor and delivery (L&D) and to examine factors associated with HIV screening, including hospital policies, with a comparison of HIV and hepatitis B prenatal screening practices and hospital policies. In March 2006, a survey of hospitals (n = 190) and review of paired maternal and infant medical records (n = 4,762) were conducted in 50 US states, DC, and Puerto Rico. Data from the survey and medical record review were analyzed using SAS software v9.

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Article Synopsis
  • The text discusses the progress made in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission in the U.S. and suggests that complete elimination (EMCT) of such transmissions is achievable.
  • It outlines essential goals and a framework for coordinated elimination efforts, highlighting the importance of comprehensive reproductive health care, including HIV testing and real-time identification of HIV-positive pregnant women.
  • The text stresses that EMCT is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort and research, as new HIV infections among women of childbearing age will still pose challenges.
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