Mother and child both matter: reconceptualizing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission care continuum.

Overview

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To propose a prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) care continuum that defines the programmatic steps necessary to provide HIV care to the HIV-infected pregnant woman and her infant during the risk period for HIV transmission. RECENT FINDINGS: There are several complexities of PMTCT care that should be considered in the care continuum, including the evolution in the population of women entering PMTCT care, various models of PMTCT service delivery and patterns of PMTCT care, and the critical step of transfer of women's HIV care from PMTCT programs to adult HIV clinics. SUMMARY: We propose a reconceptualized PMTCT care continuum that accounts for the complexities of PMTCT care. We also propose a combined outcome for pregnant women and their infants across an interlinked PMTCT continuum to measure both maternal and child health outcomes.