Using the anti-AIDS drug Kaletra prophylactically in newborn infants of HIV-positive women may cause potentially life-threatening adrenal problems in some of the infants, French researchers reported Tuesday. Although no deaths have been reported from such use, the routine prophylactic use of the drug should probably be discontinued, particularly because other effective drugs are also available, the team reported in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. About 1% of HIV-positive women now deliver an infant who is also HIV-positive. But many HIV-negative newborns are routinely treated with HIV drugs to ensure against infection.
