Utah People's Post

The Latest News from the Beehive State

Sunday, July 3, 2022
Log in
  • National News
    • Female Caseworker Killed & Doctor Shot in Philadelphia
  • State News
    • Car Chase Leads to Drug Arrest
  • Tech & Science
  • Health
    • How to Prepare For Ticks Season
    • Magical Weight Loss Bean Scam
  • Sports
  • Business
You are here: Home / Health / Atazanavir May Have Some Undesired Effects on a Fetus’ Development

Atazanavir May Have Some Undesired Effects on a Fetus’ Development

February 23, 2016 Posted by Gabrielle Stewart

child and pregnan mom

Researchers found in a new study that a drug that prevents HIV transmission from mother to infant might have a small but noteworthy side effect on the baby’s development.

While studying HIV-positive pregnant women, Harvard University researchers discovered that one of several drugs they were administered might influence the growth of their children, even though they might not be born with the disease.

Atazanavir, the drug in question, is part of anti-retroviral regimens combined with one or more other drugs. It’s not just a treatment for HIV patients, but also a way to curb transmission of the disease.

In a previous Harvard study, researchers also found that atazanavir may have some undesired effects on a fetus’ development, but at the time, the team evaluated the risks to be low and advised the women to keep to their treatment plans.

Featured in the journal AIDS, the new study involved 167 pregnant women who followed an atazanavir treatment and 750 who did not. The researchers used developmental baselines established when their children turned 1 year old in order to compare the possible effects of the drug.

Children exposed in utero to atazanavir as part of the anti-retroviral regime the mother followed during pregnancy, scored lower in social-emotional and language development tests than those who were not.

Results showed that children scored lower in language development tests regardless of the trimester of exposure. Meanwhile, social-emotional scores were only affected when the children were exposed to the drug in the second or third trimester.

As far as motor, adaptive and cognitive behavioral development goes, all children whose mothers took the drug during pregnancy lagged behind those children who weren’t exposed to it.

However, researchers emphasized that the statistical differences discovered in the study did not have large clinical implications.

But when it comes to a baby’s development, such details could add another risk to the plethora of existing socio-environmental and biological risks young children are often exposed to.

Harvard researchers have not changed their advice to pregnant women due to the small amount of evidence found so far. However, future studies might cause that to change if it is revealed that such developmental differences persist beyond one year of age.

Either way, other questions still remain – such as the fact that researchers do not yet know if the other drugs part of the same therapy as atazanavir could be adding to the problem, as well.
Image Source: Square Dolly

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Filed Under: Health

mm

About Gabrielle Stewart

Gabrielle Stewart graduated from Case Western Reserve University’s School of Graduate Studies with a Masters of Arts in Communication Sciences. She’s an avid reader and a lifelong learner. She likes to cover a wide range of news, but she’s particularly keen on Science.

Woman working out at the gym

Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

United Airlines airplane

Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston

June 28, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Breakfast sandwich

Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poppy flower

UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

U.S.-Canada border

French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border

June 26, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Plus size model

Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

June 25, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Giant manta ray

Unique Manta Ray Nursery Spotted off Texas Coast

June 23, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

The rainbow flag

WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

June 22, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

June 21, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Kenyan girls dancing

Kenyans Facing Poor Nutrition as Supermarket Shopping Is on the Rise

June 20, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Staff
  • Terms and Conditions

Recent Posts

  • Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)
  • Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston
  • Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat
  • UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply
  • French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

Related Articles

  • Woman working out at the gym

    Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

    Jun 29, 2018
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

    Jun 29, 2018
  • Breakfast sandwich

    Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

    Jun 27, 2018
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

    Jun 25, 2018
  • The rainbow flag

    WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

    Jun 22, 2018
  • 456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

    Jun 21, 2018
  • Young woman affected by depression

    If You Have PTSD You Were Likely Abused as a Child

    Jun 19, 2018
  • Obese dog on a leash

    Obese Dogs Can Help Us Better Understand How Obesity Works

    Jun 18, 2018
  • Our Brains Are Craving Combinations of Fats and Carbs (Study)

    Jun 15, 2018
  • Hungry bird with beck open

    Scientists Explain Why We Get ‘Hangry’

    Jun 13, 2018

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Provo
  • Salt Lake News
  • Science
  • Sports
  • State News
  • Tech & Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • West Jordan
  • West Valley City
  • World

Copyright © 2022 utahpeoplespost.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Site Map · Contact