Research

In this review article in the New England Journal of Medicine, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of syphilis in pregnancy including epidemiology, pathogenesis, screening and diagnosis, treatment, and neonatal evaluation and management.Citation: Stafford IA, Workowski KA, Bachmann LH…

The authors present reasons for fully supporting breast/chestfeeding as a viable and safe feeding option for infants exposed to HIV in high-income settings. They address unanswered questions and the need to continually develop more nuanced clinical guidance on infant feeding and HIV.Citation:…

The authors examine missed congenital syphilis prevention opportunities in Chicago and whether they differed during the prepandemic era (2015–2019) compared with the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022).Citation:Cejtin HE, Warren EF, Guidry T, Boss K, Becht A, Tabidze I. Notes from the Field: Diagnosis of…

The authors examine missed prevention opportunities and find that lack of timely testing and adequate treatment contributed to almost 90% of congenital syphilis cases in the United States in 2022, including substantial proportions of congenital syphilis cases in all U.S. Census Bureau regions and…

This article describes a retrospective multisite study of individuals with HIV who breastfed during 2014–2022 in the United States and Canada. The findings demonstrate high variability among institutions in policies, infant prophylaxis, and infant and parental testing practices.Citation: Levison J…

The author reviews strategies that obstetrician–gynecologists can employ to fight the current rise in syphilis rates. They review clinical manifestations and management of syphilis in pregnancy, and detail both traditional and reverse sequence screening algorithms in the context of clinical…

The authors describe factors associated with maternal syphilis and congenital syphilis at a public medical center in Chicago, Illinois.Citation:Thornton C, Chaisson LH, Bleasdale SC. Characteristics of pregnant women with syphilis and factors associated with congenital syphilis at a Chicago…

The Perinatal HIV Hotline team recently published an article documenting the rapid, successful and sustained implementation of statewide repeat third trimester HIV testing in Illinois. The Illinois experience may benefit other states and jurisdictions implementing similar programs. Citation…

In this article, the authors describe an approach to managing care for breastfeeding women with HIV at a single large-volume site in the United States. Citation: Abuogi L, Smith C, Kinzie K. Development and implementation of an interdisciplinary model for the management of…

In this article, the authors set forth a multi-disciplinary approach for best practices to maximize risk reduction in infants whose birth parents choose to breast/chestfeed in high resource settings like the United States.  Citation: Powell AM, Knott-Grasso MA, Anderson J, et al.…

The authors describe the efforts at their institution to develop a structured shared decision-making process and protocol for successful implementation of breastfeeding for people living with HIV.Citation: Powell AM, Knott-Grasso MA, Anderson J et al., Infant feeding for people living with HIV in…

In this article, the authors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describe progress toward elimination of perinatal HIV in the United States and document that the ambitious elimination goals in the United States were first met in 2019.   Citation: Lampe MA,…

This new JAMA article describes the availability, timing, and risks of antiretroviral therapy in pregnant people with HIV. Citation: Eke AC, Lockman S, Mofenson LM. Antiretroviral treatment of HIV/AIDS during pregnancy. JAMA. 2023 Apr 18;329(15):1308-1309. …

The authors describe their experience conducting focus groups to inform the adaptation of a mindfulness intervention for pregnant and parenting women living with HIV. They detail the focus group experience exploring psychosocial treatment needs and mindfulness intervention preferences. …

The authors present the case of a 6-year-old child with a delayed diagnosis of perinatal HIV infection. They describe the increased morbidity resulting from the delay and remind clinicians of the importance of universal HIV screening of pregnant women (including repeat third trimester testing),…

The authors, including Hotline Co-Medical Director Dr. Lynn Yee, report on their findings regarding repeat third trimester syphilis testing at a large tertiary hospital in Chicago, Illinois. They observe overall low compliance with the state law mandating repeat third trimester testing and…

A recent comparative study in the New England Journal of Medicine reports on the benefits of Dolutegravir in pregnancy compared to other HIV regimens currently used in the United States. Patel K, Huo Y, Jao J, et al. Dolutegravir in pregnancy as compared with current HIV regimens in the…

In this review, the authors explore the unique mental health issues faced by women living with HIV and examine the feasibility and outcomes of mental health interventions that have been tested in this population. Citation: Waldron EM, Burnett-Zeigler I, Wee V, Ng YW, Koenig LJ,…

This clinical opinion piece is the Illinois Perinatal HIV Hotline team's call to action for universal repeat third trimester HIV testing as a key strategy toward perinatal HIV elimination. Citation: Cassimatis IR, Ayala LD, Miller ES, Garcia PM, Jao J, Yee LM. Third trimester repeat…

The authors, including many of the clinicians on the Illinois Perinatal HIV Hotline, examine the association between housing instability and HIV outcomes in pregnant individuals living with HIV. Citation: Cassimatis IR, Miller ES, Benes L, Levesque J, Yee LM. Housing instability is…

This study examined the pharmacokinetics and safety of nevirapine for use in the early neonatal period. The authors found that nevirapine at the dose studied was confirmed to be safe, and that the data support nevirapine as a component of presumptive HIV treatment in high-risk neonates.…

This qualitative study in a high HIV prevalence U.S. city explored communication about HIV testing among pregnant HIV-negative women and their male partners. The authors suggest future research is needed to assess specific barriers to male partner HIV testing as an approach to preventing…

This study assessed the relationship between social vulnerability among foreign-born pregnant women living with HIV and maternal viremia during pregnancy. The authors found virologic control during pregnancy to be worse among socially-vulnerable women and recommend closer follow-up and…

This study examines pregnancy intention and its relationship to achieving viral suppression by delivery. The authors found that women with an unintended pregnancy were less likely to be on antiretroviral therapy prior to initiating prenatal care and were less likely to be virally suppressed…

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine has published updated and expanded checklists to help ensure that all relevant elements are considered for every person with HIV during prepregnancy, antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. The checklists are intended to be used as tools to…