Anti-HIV Medications May Harm The Heart Of Your Future Child

Recent findings published in the journal AIDS show that drugs used to treat HIV-positive pregnant women can be particularly dangerous for infants.

Researchers at Wayne State University and Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit Medical Center found that may of the medications can lead to long-term heart problems for infants.

"What our study indicates is that there's potentially a long-term price to be paid for protecting the children of HIV-infected mothers from the virus," said Steven E. Lipshultz, M.D., pediatrician-in-chief at the Children's Hospital of Michigan and chair of pediatrics for the Wayne State University School of Medicine. "These medicines have been very effective at reducing the rate of transmission of HIV from mother to child, but the findings we've just published show clearly that further investigation of their long-term impact on the heart health of the children involved is needed."

For the study, they compared the heart health of 428 HIV-negative children born to HIV-positive mothers, along with children who were not born to mothers with HIV. Researchers examined information that covered a span from 2007 to 2012 as they discovered that children born to HIV-infected mothers had slower heart muscle development compared to those in the control group who did not deal with the medication.

"These findings clearly indicate the need for further study," said Dr. Lipshultz. "Subclinical differences in left ventricular structure and function with specific in-utero antiviral exposures indicate the need for a longitudinal study to assess long-term cardiac risk and cardiac monitoring recommendations."

Children who are living with HIV are infe3cted via mother-to-child transmission typically during pregnancy, labor, delivery or while breastfeeding. Yet preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) has worked as one of the biggest HIV medical successes.

Despite risks, HIV-prevention is the ultimate goal. If you are pregnant or about to become pregnant with HIV, talk to your doctor about the right medications to prevent transmission to your future child. 

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