Methods of gestational age assessment influence the observed association between antiretroviral therapy exposure, preterm delivery, and small-for-gestational age infants: a prospective study in Cape Town, South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Heterogeneous findings exist on antiretroviral therapy (ART) use in pregnancy and preterm delivery (PTD) or infants born small-for-gestational age (SGA). Whether reported differences may be explained by methods used to ascertain gestational age (GA) has not been explored.

Methods

We enrolled consecutive pregnant women attending a large primary care antenatal clinic in South Africa. Public-sector midwives assessed GA by last menstrual period (LMP) and symphysis-fundal height (SFH). Separately, if clinical GA was less than 24 weeks, ultrasound (US) was performed by a research sonographer blinded to midwife assessments. In analysis, the impact of measurement error on the association between HIV/ART status and birth outcome by GA method was assessed, and factors associat

SUBMITTER: Malaba TR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6286247 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature