ABSTRACT
Objective. To assess the frequency of perinatal pathology in children exposed to antiretrovirals in perinatal period. Methods. Retrospective observational cohort study. Data collected among uninfected children born to HIV-infected women followed up from 1994 to 2006 in a tertiary Hospital. 220 uninfected children were studied. Factors studied included maternal, obstetrical and pediatric variables. Results. The most common disorder found among children exposed to antiretroviral drugs was anemia (84%); 6,4% of children had neutropenia and more than 24% had thrombocytosis, a finding never described before. Prematurity (24%) and low birth weight (23.6%) rates were high. Several congenital malformations were found: Poland syndrome, angiomas, hypospadias, Pierre-Robin sequence, trisomy 8, craniostosis and others. Long-term follow-up revealed neurological, cardiological and ophthalmological pathologies. Conclusion. Some pathologies are frequent among children exposed to antiretroviral agents during perinatal life. It is crucial to carry out long-term studies to assess the safety of this therapy.
Subject(s)
Abnormalities, Multiple/epidemiology , Adult , Anemia/chemically induced , Anemia/epidemiology , Anti-Retroviral Agents/therapeutic use , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , HIV Infections/drug therapy , HIV Infections/epidemiology , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Neutropenia/chemically induced , Neutropenia/epidemiology , Perinatology , Prevalence , Puerperal Disorders/epidemiology , Puerperal Disorders/etiology , Retrospective Studies , Thrombocytosis/chemically induced , Thrombocytosis/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Streptococcus pneumoniae is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children in developing countries. Young children represent a high-risk group for severe pneumococcal disease; not only because of their physio-logical susceptibility but also because polysaccharide vaccines are not effective for them. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have shown a high protection against pneumococcal diseases all over the world. Therefore; the expanded use of this vaccine must be considered as a major world health priority