WITWATERSRAND, South Africa, June 19 (UPI) -- HIV-positive pregnant women are more likely to have anemia, high blood pressure and deliver babies with lower birth weight, say South African researchers.
Researchers at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa compared 212 HIV-positive mothers-to-be with 101 women who had tested negative for HIV.
"Latest statistics suggest that more than a quarter of pregnant women in South Africa are HIV positive and that global rates are continuing to rise," says lead researcher Dr. Candice Bodkin. "It has already been established that HIV and AIDS can exaggerate some of the problems normally experienced in pregnancy. But we believe that this is the first study to link being HIV positive and pregnant with higher levels of anemia and raised blood pressure."
HIV-positive pregnant women face a higher risk of developing anemia, an increased risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension, lower maternal weight, double the risk of a urinary tract infection and slightly earlier delivery -- 38 weeks vs. 38.5 weeks -- as well as lower birth weight and a 5-percent chance of growth retardation in the womb, according to the study published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
