Brief report: Effects of pediatric HIV infection on mental and psychomotordevelopment

Objective: To examine the effect of HIV status on infants' mental and psych omotor functioning, controlling for confounding factors such as prenatal dr ug exposure and birth conditions. Methods: Twenty HIV-infected and 25 seroreverted infants (ages 3-30 months old) were administered the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) and a neurological examination at two time points, 4 to 12 months apart. The maj ority were from ethnic minority, socioeconomically disadvantaged families; 67% of the infants were prenatally drug-exposed. Results: HIV-infected infants had significantly lower scores on the BSID at baseline (mental development) and follow-up (motor development) compared t o seroreverters. When HIV and neurological deficits were considered togethe r, HIV+ children with neurological deficits scored significantly lower than HIV+ children without neurological deficits and seroreverters, with and wi thout neurological diagnoses. Prenatal drug exposure was not associated wit h performance on the BSID. Conclusions: These data suggest that CNS involvement is a critical pathway by which HIV affects infants' neurodevelopment.