Pathology in children of HIV women.

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.

Pneumococcal disease in sub-Saharan African children: what is the effectiveness of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine?

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