Fetal HIV Transmission Risk and Duration of Membrane Rupture

February 20, 2019 updated by: Unity Health Toronto

Duration of Rupture of Membranes and Risk of Fetal Transmission of HIV in Optimally Managed HIV Positive Mothers

In optimally managed HIV+ women with undetectable viral loads, who are on HAART and also receiving intrapartum IV ZDV, the risk of vertical transmission of HIV is independent of the length of time of rupture of membranes.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Detailed Description

In developed countries, HIV infection is now considered a chronic disease and thus the life expectancy of people infected with HIV is approaching that of the general population. Therefore many HIV positive women are choosing to pursue pregnancies. An important concern for antenatal and intrapartum management is decreasing the risk of vertical transmission. With the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and intrapartum IV zidovudine (ZDV) the risk of transmission is decreased significantly, however there is some debate surrounding optimal mode of delivery. Possible mechanisms leading to perinatal transmission include transfusion of the mother's blood to the fetus during labour contractions, infection after rupture of membranes and direct contact of the fetus with infected secretions or blood from the maternal genital tract.

When maternal viral load is detectable, The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) and other governing bodies recommend that elective cesarean section be performed for delivery as there is a 12-fold increased risk of perinatal transmission. However, the evidence suggests that for women at very low risk of transmission, such as those with an undetectable viral load and on HAART, the benefit of transmission reduction provided by cesarean section may be negligible.

The question of length of time of rupture of membranes prior to delivery and transmission risk has been a source of controversy, especially in the context of women on suppressive therapy (HAART) with an undetectable viral load. Traditional thinking has stated that the length of time of rupture of membranes should not be longer than 4 hours, as the benefit of cesarean section is lost after this time. However, this thinking is based on data where maternal viral loads were not known and only intrapartum IV ZDV was used. Many practitioners believe that in women with undetectable viral loads, virally suppressed on HAART, the safest route of delivery is vaginal, irrespective of length of time of rupture of membranes.

This is a retrospective cohort study which plans to examine the mode of delivery and median length of time of rupture of membranes for HIV positive women in two downtown academic institutions in Toronto.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

210

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Ontario
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B 1W8
        • St. Michael's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Total of 210 women from two downtown Toronto, Ontario academic-affiliated hospitals

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • all HIV positive women from January 2000

Exclusion Criteria:

  • women not on HAART and who were not receiving intrapartum intravenous zidovudine

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
HIV Positive Women
HIV positive women in two downtown Toronto, Ontario academic-affiliated hospitals

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mode of delivery
Time Frame: Ten years
In optimally managed HIV+ women with undetectable viral loads and on HAART, receiving intrapartum IV ZDV, the risk of vertical transmission of HIV is independent of the length of time of rupture of membranes (as a secondary measure)
Ten years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Median length of time of membrane rupture
Time Frame: Ten Years
In optimally managed HIV+ women with undetectable viral loads and on HAART, receiving intrapartum IV ZDV, the risk of vertical transmission of HIV is independent of the length of time of rupture of membranes (as a secondary measure)
Ten Years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

January 1, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 29, 2012

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 8, 2012

First Posted (Estimate)

June 12, 2012

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 22, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 20, 2019

Last Verified

February 1, 2019

More Information

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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