Strengthening the Evidence: Similar Rates of Neural Tube Defects Among Deliveries Regardless of Maternal HIV Status and Dolutegravir Exposure in Hospital Birth Surveillance in Eswatini

Michelle M Gill; Philisiwe Khumalo; Caspian Chouraya; Mthokozisi Kunene; Futhi Dlamini; Heather J Hoffman; Angela E Scheuerle; Bonisile Nhlabatsi; Wiseman Mngometulu; Ntombikayise Dlamini-Madlopha; Nompumelelo Mthunzi; Lynne Mofenson

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofad441

Strengthening the Evidence: Similar Rates of Neural Tube Defects Among Deliveries Regardless of Maternal HIV Status and Dolutegravir Exposure in Hospital Birth Surveillance in Eswatini

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2023 Aug 18;10(9):ofad441. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofad441. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Affiliations

¹ Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Washington, DC, USA.
² Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Mbabane, Eswatini.
³ Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
⁴ Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, Texas, USA.
⁵ Eswatini Ministry of Health, Mbabane, Eswatini.

Abstract

Birth defect surveillance in Eswatini in 2020-2021 identified 0.80% defects (197/24 599 live and stillborn infants). Neural tube defect (NTD) prevalence was 0.08%, 0.08%, and 0.15% for 4902 women on dolutegravir preconception, 17 285 HIV-negative women, and 1320 women on efavirenz preconception, respectively, more definitively refuting the dolutegravir preconception NTD safety signal.

Keywords: Eswatini; HIV; birth defect; dolutegravir; surveillance.