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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Neurodevelopmental delay among HIV-infected preschool children receiving antiretroviral therapy and healthy preschool children in Soweto, South Africa
Psychology, Health and Medicine, Volume 17, No. 5, Year 2012
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Description
Neurodevelopmental delay has been documented in up to 97.5% of HIV-infected children in Soweto who were not yet on antiretroviral treatment (ART). With growing numbers of children in South Africa being successfully treated with ART, the effects of ART on neurocognitive functioning in children require investigation. The objective of this study was to determine the extent of neurodevelopmental delay in stable HIV-infected preschool children (aged five to six years) receiving ART and compare it to an apparently healthy (unconfirmed HIV-status) group of preschool children. Thirty HIV-infected preschool children (virologically and immunologically stable on ART for more than one year) were conveniently sampled from 350 eligible children on ART at the Harriet Shezi Children's Clinic in Soweto, Johannesburg. The comparison group comprised 30 well-nourished preschool children attending the Lilian Ngoyi Primary Health Care Clinic in Soweto for routine immunizations. Each child was assessed using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales-Extended Revised Version (GMDS-ER), at a single point in time. The overall developmental z-scores on GMDS-ER were <-2 (indicating severe delay) in 27 (90%) children in the HIV-infected group compared to 23 (76%) in the comparison group (p=0.166). Mental handicap (overall GQ<70) was evident in 46.7% of children in the HIV-infected group compared to 10% in the comparison group (p=0.002). There was a 7.88-fold increased likelihood of severe delay in the HIV infected group. The HIV-infected group and comparison group had significantly different (p=0.001) mean overall GQ scores of 70 (95% CI: 66.0-74.0) and 78 (95% CI: 75.6-80.5), respectively, with lower mean scores in the HIV-infected group in all individual domains. Early initiation of ART in HIV-infected infants may improve cognitive functioning among this group; however, intervention strategies which optimize early cognitive development for all children in the area need to be urgently considered. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
Authors & Co-Authors
Lowick, Sarah
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of the Witwatersrand Faculty of Health Sciences
Sawry, Shobna
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of the Witwatersrand Faculty of Health Sciences
Meyers, Tammy M.M.
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of the Witwatersrand Faculty of Health Sciences
Statistics
Citations: 62
Authors: 3
Affiliations: 1
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1080/13548506.2011.648201
ISSN:
13548506
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Maternal And Child Health
Mental Health
Study Design
Randomised Control Trial
Quasi Experimental Study
Study Locations
South Africa