Objective: To determine the prevalence of low birthweight infants in HIV-infected pregnant women delivered in Rajavithi Hospital and the relationship between antiretroviral drugs and low birthweight infants.
Material and method: All numbers of low birthweight (LBW) infants and pregnant women with or without HIV infection delivered in Rajavithi Hospital during 2004-2008 from medical records were used. Two hundred HIV-infected pregnant women who delivered their infants at the same period were random for description and analysis.
Results: The prevalence of low birthweight infants delivered by HIV and non HIV-infected pregnant women were 12.6% (53/ 420) and 13.3% (4,249/31,975), respectively. There was no significant association between HIV infection and low birthweight (p = 0.688). Low birthweight infants delivered from HIV-infected pregnant women with and without antiretroviral therapy were 9.9% (7/41) and 13.6% (19/159), respectively. Various types of antiretroviral (ARV) drug including no ARV were significantly associated with LBW (p = 0.021). The one who received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) had 2.27 times higher risk in having LBW.
Conclusion: The prevalence of low birthweight infants among HIV-infected pregnant women was 12.6%. There was no association between HIV infection and LBW. HAART might be a risk of LBW.