What are the effects of measures to reduce mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)?
beneficial Antiretroviral Drugs. One systematic review has found that zidovudine versus placebo significantly reduces the incidence of HIV in infants. One randomized controlled trial (RCT) has found that the longer versus shorter courses of zidovudine (long-long versus short-short courses) given to mother and infant significantly reduces the incidence of HIV in infants. One RCT has found that nevirapine versus zidovudine given to the mother and to her newborn significantly reduces the risk of HIV transmission. One RCT found no additional advantage in giving nevirapine to the mother and infant when transmission rates are already reduced by mothers receiving standard antiretroviral treatment. One RCT has found that zidovudine plus lamivudine versus placebo given in the antenatal and intrapartum period, or in the intrapartum and postpartum period, significantly reduces the risk of transmission of HIV. likely to be beneficial Elective Caesarean Delivery. One RCT found limited evidence that
