The relationship of maternal and child HIV infection to security of attachment among Ugandan infants.

This study was designed to examine the relationship of maternal and child human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to the security of attachment of Ugandan infants. The attachment patterns of two groups of Ugandan mother-infant pairs: 35 HIV-positive mothers and their infants and 25 HIV-negative mothers and their infants were compared. We tested the hypothesis that infants of HIV-positive mothers would demonstrate less secure attachment as measured by the Waters Attachment Q-set than infants of HIV-negative mothers. No differences were found in the security of attachment of infants of HIV-positive versus HIV-negative mothers. Infants of HIV-positive mothers with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were less securely attached than infants of mothers without AIDS. These findings underscore the relationship of infant security of attachment to maternal HIV infection in the presence of AIDS-related symptoms but not to asymptomatic maternal HIV infection.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes of Ugandan infants with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

BACKGROUND: The neurodevelopmental outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected Ugandan infants of nondrug-using mothers were studied using controlled, prospective methodology. METHOD: The sample of 436 full-term infants included 79 HIV-infected infants of HIV-1-infected mothers, 241 uninfected infants of HIV-1-infected mothers (seroreverters), and 116 uninfected infants born to HIV-negative mothers. Neurologic status, information processing ability, and motor and mental development were assessed from 6 to 24 months of age. Observations of caretaker-child interaction and home environments were made at 6 and 12 months. All evaluators were blinded to the HIV status of the child and family. RESULTS: Compared with seroreverters and uninfected infants, HIV-infected infants demonstrated greater deficits in motor development and neurologic status, and more frequent and earlier onset of motor and neurologic abnormalities. Compared with controls, HIV-infected infants had more abnormalities in mental development at 6 and 18 months and an earlier onset of abnormalities. By 12 months, 30% of HIV-infected infants demonstrated motor abnormalities and 26% cognitive abnormalities as compared with 11% and 6% among seroreverters and 5% and 6% among seronegative infants. HIV-infected infants (62%) demonstrated a higher probability of developing an abnormal neurologic examination by 12 months, compared with seroreverters (17%) or seronegative infants (15%). Information-processing abilities did not differ as a function of HIV infection. Home environments and infants' interactions with caretakers were similar across groups. CONCLUSION: We conclude that HIV infection results in more frequent and earlier abnormalities in infants' neurologic status and motor development that are not attributable to other biological and environmental risk factors. More frequent mental developmental abnormalities were evident at several ages. However, information-processing abilities, such as recognition memory, may be spared from HIV-related deficits.