Effects of the timing of maternal antiretroviral therapy initiation, CD4 count, and HIV viral load on birth outcomes in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa: A secondary data analysis.

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) use during pregnancy is essential to prevent vertical transmission of HIV, but it may also increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes. This study investigated the impact of both maternal HIV infection and the timing of ART initiation on birth outcomes in women living with HIV in South Africa.

Methods: This secondary data analysis examined the dataset from an earlier cohort study involving 1709 pregnant women living with HIV who delivered their babies at three major maternity centres in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa between September 2015 and May 2018.