AFTER AIDS CLINICAL-TRIAL-076 - THE CHANGING PATTERN OF ZIDOVUDINE USE DURING PREGNANCY, AND THE SUBSEQUENT REDUCTION IN THE VERTICAL TRANSMISSION OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS IN A COHORT OF INFECTED WOMEN AND THEIR INFANTS

To determine the impact of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Proto col 076 results on the subsequent use of zidovudine during pregnancy a nd the transmission rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a co hort of mother-infant pairs (Women and Infants Transmission Study), a retrospective analysis was done, Transmission rates were calculated by simple proportion for infants with at least 6 months of follow-up, st ratified by date of birth (n = 453 born on or before 1 March 1994; n = 103 born after 1 March 1994), Transmission rates decreased from 19% t o 8% (P = .005, Fisher's exact test), Zidovudine use increased during pregnancy (22% vs, 89%) and in newborns (1% vs, 79%), Both cohorts wer e similar with respect to maternal immunosuppression, mode of delivery , and demographics, In summary, in a perinatal HIV observational study , the release of results of ACTG Protocol 076 was associated with an i ncrease in zidovudine use during pregnancy and a concomitant decline i n HIV transmission from mothers to infants.