Cohort profile: the Swiss Mother and Child HIV Cohort Study (MoCHiV).

Purpose: Prospective, multicentric observational cohort study in Switzerland investigating measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission in pregnant women with HIV (WWH) and assessing health and development of their exposed children as well as of children with HIV (CWH) in general.
Participants: Between January 1986 and December 2022, a total of 1446 mother-child pairs were enrolled. During the same period, the study also registered 187 CWH and 521 HIV-exposed but uninfected children (HEU), for whom detailed maternal information was not available. Consequently, the cohort comprises a total of 2154 children.
Findings to Date: During these 37 years, research by the Swiss Mother and Child HIV Cohort Study (MoCHiV) and its international collaborators has strongly influenced the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV (eg, introduction and discontinuation of elective caesarean section, neonatal postexposure prophylaxis and breastfeeding). Contributions have also been made to the management of diagnostics (eg, p24 antigen assay) and the effects of antiretroviral treatment (eg, prematurity, growth) in HEU and CWH.
Future Plans: Most children present within the cohort are now HEU, highlighting the need to investigate other vertically transmitted pathogens such as hepatitis B and C viruses, cytomegalovirus or Treponema pallidum . In addition, analyses are planned on the longitudinal health status of CWH (eg, resistance and prolonged exposure to antiretroviral therapy), on social aspects including stigma in CWH and HEU, and on interventions to further optimise antenatal and postpartum care in WWH.
Competing Interests: Competing interests: AB, AT, AS, CRK, IH, PP, NW, LK and CR declare no conflicts of interest. BMT has participated as expert for Glaxo-Smith Kline, Jansen, Medinova, Pierre-Favre. HG has received unrestricted research grants from Gilead Sciences; fees for data and safety monitoring board membership from Merck; consulting/advisory board membership fees from Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, Johnson and Johnson, Janssen, GSK and Novartis; and grants from SystemsX, and the National Institutes of Health and the Yvonne Jacob Foundation. The institution of E.B. received fees for his participation to Advisory boards and travel grants from Gilead Sciences, MSD, ViiV healthcare, Abbott, Pfizer and Sandoz. AR reports support to his institution for advisory boards and/or travel grants from MSD, Gilead Sciences, Pfizer and Moderna, and an investigator-initiated trial (IIT) grant from Gilead Sciences. All remuneration went to his home institution and not to AR personally, and all remuneration was provided outside the submitted work.
(© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)