Mode of delivery decisions among HIV -infected mothers at an urban maternity hospital in Kenya

Objectives: To quantify the use of elective Caesarean section (ECS) for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) at an urban Kenyan maternity hospital, to describe mode of delivery decision making among HIV positive women, and to understand patient knowledge and attitudes regarding ECS for PMTCT.Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.Setting: Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya.Subjects: Two hundred and fifty postpartum HIV-infected women.Main outcome measures: ECS delivery rate, correlates of mode of delivery decisions and ECS for PMTCT knowledge and attitudesResults: The rate of delivery by ECS for PMTCT was 4.0% (10/250), though 13.6% (34/250) planned this mode of delivery. Patient education regarding ECS for PMTCT was limited, and 64% (160/250) of participants had never heard of ECS. Planning ECS for PMTCT was positively correlated with attending clinic at PMH (OR=9.12, 95% CI: 2.94-28.28,