van der Merwe et al Journal of the International AIDS Society 2011, 14:42 http://www.jiasociety.org/content/14/1/42 RESEARCH Open Access Birth outcomes in South African women receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy: a retrospective observational study Karin van der Merwe1*, Risa Hoffman3, Vivian Black2, Matthew Chersich4,5, Ashraf Coovadia1 and Helen Rees2 Abstract Background: Use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), a triple-drug combination, in HIV-infected pregnant women markedly reduces mother to child transmission of HIV and decreases maternal morbidity However, there remains uncertainty about the effects of in utero exposure to HAART on foetal development Methods: Our objectives were to investigate whether in utero exposure to HAART is associated with low birth weight and/or preterm birth in a population of South African women with advanced HIV disease A retrospective observational study was performed on women with CD4 counts ≤250 cells/mm3 attending antenatal antiretroviral clinics in Johannesburg between October 2004 and March 2007 Low birth weight (