Understanding Brain Development in Children Exposed to HIV and Anti-HIV Medicines Before Birth
Neural correlates of in utero HIV and ART exposure: early childhood follow-up of a prospectively recruited cohort
This project aims to understand how being exposed to HIV and anti-HIV medicines before birth affects the brain development and health of young children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11093518 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many children are born uninfected but were exposed to HIV and anti-HIV medicines during their mother's pregnancy. Even though they don't have HIV, these children can sometimes experience slower growth and developmental delays. This project continues to follow a group of these children, comparing their brain development and health to children who were not exposed. We use brain imaging and other assessments to learn more about how these early exposures might affect their long-term well-being. The goal is to better understand these effects to help improve care for these children.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this type of research are young children who were exposed to HIV and anti-HIV medications during their mother's pregnancy.
Not a fit: Children who were not exposed to HIV or anti-HIV medications during pregnancy would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to identify and support children who were exposed to HIV and anti-HIV medicines before birth, helping them reach their full developmental potential.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work by this team has already identified structural and functional brain differences and poorer cognitive performance in these children, indicating a foundation for this continued follow-up.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Van Der Kouwe, Andre Jan Willem — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Van Der Kouwe, Andre Jan Willem
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.