Children born to HIV + mothers: perinatal exposure to antiretroviral drugs does not affect neurological development

Neurodevelopmental uninfected children exposed to antiretrovirals during the perinatal period is not affected by these treatments, suggest the results of a Canadian study published in the issue of "Pediatrics" magazine.
Dr. Ariane Alimenti, University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and colleagues came to this conclusion by observing the early neurodevelopment 63 seronegative infants: first 39 children born to HIV and therefore have been exposed highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the perinatal period and the other 24 children born to HIV-negative mothers, constituting the "control group".

The authors hope that the two groups of mothers considered in this study have similar socio-economic profiles, the control group had in its ranks many women infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and a significant proportion of drug users.

Among women in this study, the use of psychoactive substances during pregnancy was more common in the group of mothers of children exposed to HAART (51%) than those of infants in the control group (12%), as the use of psychotropic drugs administered by injection (46% against 4%).

Children exposed to antiretrovirals during the perinatal period have obtained lower than the control group on tests they were subjected to 18 and 36 months to assess their neuropsychological and psychomotor development (Bayley scales of infant and devlopment Vineland adaptive behavior scales scores ). However, the difference was not maintained when the authors adjusted the results to take into account the influence of the drug during pregnancy.

These results suggest that perinatal exposure to antiretroviral HIV-negative children is not associated with alterations in their neurological development, the authors conclude. In addition, they point out, these data also illustrate the need to take into account fetal exposure to psychoactive substances, which often goes hand in hand with prenatal exposure to HIV and HAART.

"The benefits of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) during pregnancy, childbirth and the neonatal period so far outweigh the potential risks associated with exposure to these treatments, since they reduce the transmission of HIV from mother to child, the passing below 1% to 2% with relatively few side effects, "say Canadian researchers