Neurodevelopmental impairment remains a concern in children with perinatally acquired
HIV despite major advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although early treatment is
recommended, the extent to which the timing of ART initiation affects later
neurodevelopment is less clear.
To examine the relationship between the timing of ART initiation and
neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with perinatally acquired HIV by quantitatively
comparing published clinical studies that directly evaluated early and deferred or later
treatment strategies.