A new study suggests that the drug used to prevent HIV transmission from a mother to her child may have a serious effect on the infant's development.

Harvard Study

A previous study from the Harvard University examined the effects of taking antiretroviral (ARV) drugs on the child in the uterus. The use of ARV regimens among HIV-infected pregnant women has reduced the number of HIV transmission to infants.

They reported that the risk of birth defects in women taking ARV during the early stages of their pregnancy is low. Despite the risks that many are concerned about, the researchers concluded that the benefits of taking ARVs still outweigh the risk.

"This study suggests that the benefits of using ARVs during pregnancy still far outweigh the risks for HIV-infected women, although they also indicate a need for continued monitoring," said lead author Paige Williams, senior lecturer on biostatistics at HSPH.

However, they find one ARV drug, called atazanavir, which is associated with increased risk of birth defects. The team stressed that it should be studied further.

New Study

The new study published in the journal AIDS explores the effects of atazanavir on children born from women who took the drugs when they were pregnant.

The recent study involved 167 women who received the said drug during their pregnancy and another 750 women who did not take the drug. The effects of the drug were examined by comparing the developmental baselines of the children when they turned 1-year-old.

Results of Taking Atazanavir

The researchers learned that children from mothers who took atazanavir scored low in language and social-emotional development compared to children whose mothers did not take the drug.

Language development scores were found lower regardless of the time when the drug was taken, be it in the first trimester or later. However, social-emotional scores were only affected in children whose mothers started the drug in the second and third trimester.

Moreover, children who were exposed to atazanavir in utero also lagged behind when it came to cognitive, motor and adaptive behavioral development compared to children who were not exposed to the said drug.

"In utero exposure to atazanavir-containing regimens compared to non-atazanavir-containing regimens may adversely affect language and social-emotional development in PHEU infants during the first year of life, but the absolute difference is small," the researchers concluded.

The team pointed out that the small statistical differences do not have large clinical implications. However, it is worth paying attention to because this is another risk factor that these children are often exposed to.