Growth of human immunodeficiency virus-uninfected children exposed to perinatal zidovudine for the prevention of mother-to-child human immunodeficiency virus transmission.
BACKGROUND
Perinatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention programs have been implemented in several countries, and many children have been or will be exposed to antiretrovirals in utero and during their first weeks of life. Although reducing substantially the number of infected children, the potential adverse consequences of these treatments on the health of HIV-uninfected children need to be assessed.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impact of in utero and postnatal zidovudine exposure on the growth of HIV-uninfected children born to HIV-infected women.


METHODS
We used data prospectively collected in 1408 live born children participating in a clinical trial comparing zidovudine regimens of different durations to prevent perinatal transmission in Thailand (PHPT-1). We used a linear mixed model to analyze the anthropometric measurements (weight for age, height for age and weight for height Z-scores) until 18 months of age according to zidovudine treatment duration (mothers, <7.5 weeks versus more; infants, 3 days versus >4 weeks).


RESULTS
Children exposed in utero for >7.5 weeks had a slightly lower birth weight (Z-score difference, 0.08; P = 0.003). However, zidovudine exposure had no effect on the evolution of Z-scores from 6 weeks to 18 months of age.


CONCLUSIONS
Although a longer in utero zidovudine exposure may have had a negative impact on birth weight, the magnitude of this effect was small and faded over time. Neither the total nor the postnatal duration of exposure was associated with changes in infant Z-scores from 6 weeks to 18 months of age.
Institut National d'Etudes Démographiques, Paris, France.
Nelly
N
Briand
Sophie
S
Le Coeur
Patrinee
P
Traisathit
Varit
V
Karnchanamayul
Rawiwan
R
Hansudewechakul
Chaiwat
C
Ngampiyasakul
Sorakit
S
Bhakeecheep
Jeerapahan
J
Ithisukanan
Suchat
S
Hongsiriwon
Kenneth
K
McIntosh
Marc
M
Lallemant
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D013785:Thailand; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D015215:Zidovudine