The MTCT rate decreased substantially after 1994, reaching 1% in 2005–2007 (Table 1). Among premature infants, the crude MTCT rates for those delivered by elective CS, by emergency CS and vaginally were 2.8% (nine of 319), 6.2% (14 of 226) and 21.6% (58 of 268), respectively; 79% (251 of 319) of those delivered by elective CS were born

at 35–36 weeks and for 96% Entinostat mw maternal HIV infection was stated as the CS indication. Elective CS and emergency CS delivery were both univariably associated with a statistically significant reduction in MTCT risk overall vs. vaginal delivery [respective ORs 0.06 (95% CI 0.02–0.16) and 0.19 (95% CI 0.09–0.42)]. In multivariable analysis adjusting for maternal CD4 cell count and receipt of antenatal ART (classified as none, mono/dual therapy and HAART), including 496 premature infants, elective CS was associated with an 89% decreased E7080 price risk of MTCT (AOR 0.11; 95% CI 0.03–0.32; P<0.001) and emergency CS with a 63% reduced risk (AOR 0.37; 95% CI 0.16–0.87; P=0.02). Repeating this analysis for the 2081 MCPs with term delivery, elective CS was associated with a halving of MTCT risk (AOR 0.49; 95% CI 0.30–0.80; P=0.004), but the association with emergency CS was not significant (AOR 0.74; 95% CI 0.38–1.43; P=0.37). Results from a subanalysis among all MCPs with maternal viral load <400 copies/mL (n=960) are presented in Table 3. Elective CS and emergency CS were associated with a reduced MTCT risk

vs. vaginal delivery, but the emergency CS association was only of borderline significance. We were unable to repeat this analysis restricted to the 559 MCPs with maternal viral load <50 copies/mL,

as there were only two cases of vertical transmission (overall MTCT rate 0.4%; 95% CI 0.04–1.29): one infected infant was born vaginally at <34 weeks and the other by elective CS at 37 weeks; both mothers were receiving HAART in pregnancy, the former from before pregnancy and the latter for 2 months prior to delivery. A further analysis was performed to explore the value of a strategy of an elective CS (prophylactic CS) to prevent MTCT vs. a policy of vaginal delivery (including vaginal deliveries converted to an emergency CS) in women on HAART. Among 1132 Phosphoprotein phosphatase women on HAART with viral load measurements available 30 days before delivery or 1 day post-partum, the MTCT rate was 0.65% (two of 310) among women who started their labour vaginally (both transmissions occurred among women with viral loads ≥1000 copies/mL) and 1.3% (11 of 822) among those who had a prophylactic CS (P=0.64); among the subgroup of women with viral load <1000 copies/mL, three of those having a prophylactic CS transmitted (0.7%; three of 424; 95% CI 0.15–2.05) and none of those who started their labour vaginally did so (0 of 155; one-sided 97.5% CI 2.35%). The MTCT rate among women undergoing prophylactic CS with HIV RNA levels <50 copies/mL was 0.4% (1 of 238) (P=0.48).