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Neonatal hypoperistalsis associated with perinatal zidovudine administration
M I Neuman1, Z Molle, E L Handelsman
1Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Medical Center at Brooklyn, USA.
Insights
Perinatal zidovudine exposure in infants may be linked to hypoperistalsis and intestinal pseudoobstruction. Symptoms resolved after discontinuing zidovudine, suggesting a potential association.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric gastroenterology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in pregnant women necessitates careful management.
- Perinatal zidovudine is used to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Observation:
- Two infants exposed to perinatal zidovudine developed hypoperistalsis and intestinal pseudoobstruction.
- These symptoms are rare and were not attributable to other known causes.
Findings:
- Infant symptoms of hypoperistalsis and intestinal pseudoobstruction resolved after zidovudine discontinuation.
- No other causes were identified for the observed gastrointestinal issues.
Implications:
- Physicians should consider zidovudine exposure when evaluating infants with intestinal motility disorders.
- Further research may clarify the causal link between perinatal zidovudine and infant gastrointestinal problems.
Objective:
This paper presents the cases of two infants exposed to perinatal zidovudine in whom hypoperistalsis and intestinal pseudoobstruction developed.
Study Design:
Clinical case reports were prepared of two infants born to women infected with human immunodeficiency virus who were treated with perinatal zidovudine at a single inner-city medical school.
Results:
None of the previously described causes for this rare condition contributed to the symptoms in these two infants. In addition, the symptoms resolved shortly after discontinuation of zidovudine administration.
Conclusions:
Although a strict cause-and-effect relationship between the medication and the impairment in intestinal peristalsis was not proved, awareness of this association should be helpful for physicians caring for infants exposed to perinatal zidovudine.