OBJECTIVETo measure the incidence rates of preterm delivery in HIV-infected pregnant women and to explore related potential risk factors.

METHODSData from 'Information System of Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission of HIV Management in China, 2013' was used in the study. Information regarding demographic characteristics, pregnancy, HIV relevant situations and pregnancy outcomes related to these HIV-infected pregnant women, were extracted and analyzed. Incidence of preterm delivery was calculated with related potential risk factors explored.

RESULTS3 913 HIV-infected pregnant women were involved in this study, including 336 of them having undergone preterm deliveries (8.6%). Results from univariate and multivariate analyses showed that preterm delivery was associated with factors as: maternal age, ethnicity, education, being migrant, pregnancy hypertension, multiple pregnancy and times of antenatal care visits (P < 0.05) of the pregnant women. Compared with those who contracted the HIV infection through drug injection, the ones who were infected through other routes suffered fewer preterm deliveries (adjusted OR = 0.562, 95% CI: 0.360-0.879). Pregnant women who received antiretroviral therapy either between 14 to 27 gestational weeks or during the period of less than 14, were more likely to experience preterm delivery, comparison to those who did not receive the therapy during pregnancy. The adjusted ORs were 1.712 (95% CI: 1.196-2.451) and 1.862 (95% CI: 1.261-2.749), respectively.

CONCLUSIONPreterm delivery was a common adverse outcome during pregnancy among HIV-infected women in China. Other than traditionally known risk factors, routes of transmission and the use of antiretroviral therapy might also be associated with the increased risks for preterm delivery.