Children of a syndemic: co-occurring and mutually reinforcing adverse child health exposures in a prospective cohort of HIV-affected mother-infant dyads in Cape Town, South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Several HIV-related syndemics have been described among adults. We investigated syndemic vulnerability to hazardous drinking (HD), intimate partner violence (IPV) and household food insecurity (HFIS) in breastfed children born without HIV in urban South Africa. We compared those who were perinatally HIV exposed (CHEU) to those who were not (CHU), under conditions of universal maternal antiretroviral therapy (ART) and breastfeeding.

Methods

A prospective cohort of pregnant women living with HIV (WLHIV), and without HIV, were enrolled and followed with their infants for 12 months postpartum (2013-2017). All WLHIV initiated antenatal efavirenz-based ART. Measurements of growth (∼3 monthly), infectious cause hospitalisation, ambulatory childhood illness (2-week reca

SUBMITTER: le Roux SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10618899 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature