Atazanavir taken during pregnancy negatively impacts fatal development, according to a recent study which sheds light on the risks associated with this drug.
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In a latest study, researchers have discovered that a drug used to avoid HIV transmission from mother to child could have small but notable effects on infant development.
One-year-olds whose mothers took atazanavir during pregnancy have slightly reduced scores for language and social-emotional development, compared to ARV regimens not containing atazanavir, according to the new research by Dr. Ellen C. Caniglia, ScD, of Harvard T.J. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues.
They reported that the risk of birth defects in women taking ARV during the early stages of their pregnancy is low.
After age 1, researchers were curious to learn whether the drug had any long-term effects on infant development.
Previous research has suggested language development delays in infants whose mothers took atazanavir during pregnancy, and these findings add to those concerns, the researchers said in a journal news release. The effects of the drug were examined by comparing the developmental baselines of the children when they turned 1-year-old.
“These results may be useful in treatment planning for women with HIV infection”, the study said.
Babies that had contact with atazanavir in utero were also proven to have more trouble expressing and handling their feelings, or when it came to starting and maintaining satisfying relationships.
It must be noted that this correlation was encountered especially among infants who were exposed to the HIV prevention medicine throughout the second and third trimester of pregnancy, without being detected following such treatment administered in the first trimester.
Cognitive motor and adaptive behavioral scores were lower across the board for those children who were exposed to the drug. Babies exposed to atazanavir during pregnancy also scored lower than their peers in tests assessing social-emotional development.
Children whose mothers took atazanavir as a part of an anti-retroviral treatment scored lower on language and social-emotional development tests.
While future studies will be needed in order to assess whether this developmental differences persist beyond one year of age, other questions remain-including whether other drugs that interact with atazanavir as part of the therapy could contribute to the problem.
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Atazanavir belongs to the protease inhibitor class of anitretroviral (ARV) drugs and it is used to treat HIV infection and prevent further spread of the virus. Visit the journal website at http://www.aidsonline.com. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).
