Developmental delay in HIV-exposed infants in Harare, Zimbabwe

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the difference in development (cognition; receptive and expressive language; and fine and gross motor) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-exposed infected (HEI) infants with the development of HIV-exposed but uninfected (HEU) infants using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III). Sixty infants were enrolled in the study; 32 (53.33%) HEU infants and 28 (46.67%) HEI infants. The two groups were well-matched for infant demographics, anthropometry at birth and maternal demographics. Statistically significant differences were found in anthropometry and development between the HEI and HEU groups. The HEI infants had malnutrition, were stunted and had smaller head circumferences than HEU infants. The BSID-III showed that the mean developmental delay for the HEI group was approximately two months below their mean chronological age for all scales (cognitive; receptive and expressive communication; and fine and gross motor age). The HEI group showed that 64.29% had cognitive delay, 60.71% had language delay and 53.57% had motor delay, all of which were significantly different from the development of the HEU group for all domains (p < 0.001). In addition to using the BSID-III, the majority of mothers were able to correctly indicate whether their child was developing at the same or at a slower rate of development than children of the same age. This study demonstrates that infants who are HIV-exposed and infected are at risk of developmental delay.