HIV Viremia During Pregnancy and Neurodevelopment of HIV-Exposed Uninfected Children in the Context of Universal Antiretroviral Therapy and Breastfeeding: A Prospective Study

Background: Elevated HIV viral load (VL) in pregnancy has been linked to increased risk of mortality, immunologic abnormalities, infectious morbidity and restricted growth among HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children, but little is known about effects on child development. Methods: HIV-infected women initiating lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART; tenofovir + emtricitabine + efavirenz) antenatally were followed from first antenatal visit through delivery and with their breastfed infants postpartum. Cognitive, motor and expressive language development (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition; delay defined as score
Source: The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal - Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: HIV Reports Source Type: research