[HIV/AIDS in pregnancy and lactation].

OBJECTIVES: A review on the impact of HIV/AIDS infection during pregnancy and early infancy is presented. We also present the strategies intended to decrease perinatal transmission and the current knowledge from the scientific point of view.

METHODS: Considering historical backgrounds, a thorough examination was performed, with the author's analytic experience, the development of diagnosis and treatment methods, as well as the national level and worldwide impact of recently breakthroughs in that field. Furthermore, some of the follow-up treatment outcomes in pregnant women's cohort infected by HIV assisted at the Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes (INPer) from 1988-2006 (INPerIER).

RESULTS: The impact at world-wide level the diverse medical strategies implemented had had to diminish the perinatal transmission of HIV, the outcomes and the breakthroughs to accomplish an improvement in survival and quality of life of these patients, was confirmed in this article, also the results of the program of INPerIER.

CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic and the prophylactic medical interventions in HIV-infected pregnant women have allowed a reduction in rate of perinatal transmission low down to 2%. Moreover with an unquestionable improvement in quality of life, situation that force ourselves to help and look for an early diagnosis of the HIV-infected pregnant patients