A 12-month study of the effects of oral zidovudine on neurodevelopmental functioning in a cohort of vertically HIV-infected inner-city children

Objective: To examine the effects of oral zidovudine on the neurodevelopmental functioning of HIV-infected children. Methods: Oral zidovudine was administered to 54 symptomatic children with vertically transmitted HIV infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention class P2). All children were recruited from an inner-city pediatric HIV/AIDS outpatient clinic and ranged in age from 2 months to 12 years and 11 months (mean age, 3 years) at entry. Neurodevelopmental functioning, height and weight, and lymphocyte subpopulation data were ascertained for all the children pre-therapy, and 6 and 12 months post-therapy initiation. Results: Analysis of the 6- and 12-month post-initiation drug data found no significant change in neurodevelopmental functioning. Height and weight percentiles remained the same or improved in the majority of children. CD4+ cell counts declined over the treatment period with CD4+ counts < 500 x 10⁶/l observed in 15% of the children pre-therapy, and 33% after 1 year. Conclusion: In contrast with previously published data, the present study observed no improvement in neurodevelopmental functioning in HIV-infected children treated with oral zidovudine.