HIV in Children
- According to a UNAIDS study, there were over 2.5 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV or AIDS in 2003. Thousands more children become infected each year, with the majority of these being in poor communities or third-world countries.
- Though some older children are infected with HIV by other means, the vast majority of children with HIV are infected by their mothers. This can happen during pregnancy and labor, but most of these children become infected while breastfeeding. The rate of infection while breastfeeding is highest in areas where clean water is scarce.
- On average, children progress to AIDS or serious illness much more quickly than adults. Approximately 20 percent of HIV-positive children develop serious illness within their first year of life and die before they reach age four. With proper treatment, however, many children can remain healthy until adolescence and lead normal lives.
- The most common symptoms of HIV in children are development of common opportunistic infections. Frequent severe colds and other illnesses such as toxoplasmosis and tuberculosis are likely to present as symptoms.
- Treatment for children with HIV is similar to the treatments given to adults, though the side effects can be more severe for younger children. A combination therapy of different antiretroviral drugs is typically used to keep HIV viral levels in the blood low.