Research

The authors describe an increase in cases of perinatal transmission in Maryland in 2022, in which 6 cases of perinatal HIV diagnosis were recorded. They urge the importance of constancy in systems that eliminate barriers to care for pregnant people, in order to achieve and then sustain perinatal…

A study examining birth outcomes following exposure to bictegravir during pregnancy found no significant safety concerns for fetal bictegravir exposure among a United States cohort. The authors emphasize the need for comparative data and continued surveillance of outcomes among infants exposed to…

The authors describe an opt-out syphilis screening intervention in the emergency department of a large urban hospital in Chicago. They report a dramatic increase in screening and diagnosis, especially among pregnant people where diagnosis increased 750% from 2 to 15 cases. They demonstrate that a…

The authors describe the rising stillbirth rates related to congenital syphilis in the United States from 2016-2022. They found that 1 in 20 pregnancies involving congenital syphilis resulted in stillbirth, and they warn of increases in the overall stillbirth rate nationally if the prevalence of…

In this article, the authors summarize some of the key ethical issues that clinical providers should consider when caring for people living with HIV who are considering breastfeeding/chestfeeding their infants.Citation:Nightingale KJ, Lowenthal ED, Gross MS. When black and white turns gray:…

The authors describe the key elements contributing to recent advances in HIV management during pregnancy and infant feeding. These include expanded HIV testing guidance, data favoring the use of preferred ART during pregnancy and breastfeeding, advocacy for the inclusion of pregnant people with HIV…

The authors describe the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry and discuss critical data gaps. They urge all healthcare providers who care for pregnant individuals with HIV to participate in reporting ARV exposure to the registry.Citation:Short WR, Miller ES, Simone J, Statton A, Finocchario-Kessler S…

Syphilis treatment among pregnant people in six U.S. states is explored and missed opportunities for prevention are identified. The role of social determinants of health and the need for syphilis screening outside of traditional prenatal care are discussed. The article and accompanying editorial…

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a new clinical report providing guidance for pediatric providers about infant feeding for people living with HIV and at risk for HIV in the United States. They recommend that for people with HIV in the United States, avoidance of breastfeeding is the only…

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…