HIV and AIDS in Children

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Original Editor - Franca Ebomah

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Introduction[edit | edit source]

There is an unacceptably high number of children becoming recently infected with HIV globally[1]. Poor mental health outcomes is a risk factor for children with HIV/AIDS[2]HIV/AIDS in children is a significant problem in developing countries[3]According to UNICEF data, 4 in 10 infants born to pregnant women living with HIV miss out on a timely diagnosis.[4]

Causes in Children[edit | edit source]

  1. Children can contract the virus from their mothers during the child bearing process or from breastfeeding. This is the most common cause.
  2. Orphans and children who lack caregivers in AIDS communities are vulnerable to contracting HIV. They are unable to stand up for their rights and are predisposed to infection through rape and sexual abuse.
  3. In countries where child marriages are culturally accepted, young girls are at risk of contracting the virus from their older husbands and passing it on to their children.
  4. Injected drugs
  5. Sharing of needles[5]

Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in Children[edit | edit source]

  • Worldwide, there are approximately 2.78 million children aged 0-19 years living with HIV[6]
  • In 2020, approximately 850 children became infected with HIV daily and 330 children died from AIDS-related causes daily.
  • Close to 90% of children newly infected with HIV in 2020 were from sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Female children consist a higher percentage of children with HIV [7]
  • Children under 1 year of age are among those most vulnerable to HIV. [4]
  • Approximately 15.4 million children globally have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related cause.

Symptoms[edit | edit source]

  • Failure to thrive (such as not gaining weight)
  • Delayed developmental milestones
  • Seizures
  • Childhood illnesses such as an ear infection, a cold, an upset stomach, or diarrhea
  • Opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis pneumonia (a fungal infection of the lungs), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis (lung scarring)

Effects of HIV[edit | edit source]

There are direct and indirect effects of HIV.

Direct effects: HIV has direct neurotoxic effects on brain structures involved in the regulation of emotion, behavior, and cognition.[8]

Indirect effects: These include social stressors, poverty, illness and trauma on morbidity and mortality[9]

Children infected with HIV/AIDS are at increased risk of developmental and neuropsychological disturbances owing to both the direct and indirect effects of the HIV.[8]

Management[edit | edit source]

The best way to manage pediatric HIV/AIDS is to prevent children from acquiring HIV by preventing the infection of their mothers[3]Although considerable progress in the management of HIV has been made since 2010, there is a long way to go for paediatric treatment of HIV.[4]

Early diagnosis and treatment are particularly critical in the case of infants[4]

Resources[edit | edit source]

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References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ UNAIDS. Ending of the AIDS epidemic. 2021. Available from https://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/UNAIDS_FactSheet_en.pdf. 14/12/2021
  2. ↑ Sharp C, Penner F, Marais L, Skinner D. School connectedness as psychological resilience factor in children affected by HIV/AIDS. AIDS care. 2018 Jul 25;30(sup4):34-41.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Embree J. The impact of HIV/AIDS on children in developing countries. Paediatrics & child health. 2005 May 1;10(5):261-3.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 UNICEF Data(2021). Paediatric care and treatment. Available from: https://data.unicef.org/topic/hivaids/paediatric-treatment-and-care/. (Accessed on 01/01/2021).
  5. ↑ Dunkin M.A. (2020). Children With HIV and AIDS. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/hiv-in-children. Accessed on 01/01/2022
  6. ↑ UNICEF Data. HIV Statistics- Global and Regional Trends. Available from:https://data.unicef.org/topic/hivaids/global-regional-trends/#:~:text=Global%20trends,live%20in%20sub%2DSaharan%20Africa. (Accessed 01/01/2022)
  7. ↑ HIV.gov. Global Statistics. Available from: https://data.unicef.org/topic/hivaids/global-regional-trends/#:~:text=Global%20trends,live%20in%20sub%2DSaharan%20Africa. (Accessed 01/01/2022).
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Benton TD, Lachman A, Seedat S. HIV and/or AIDS. Addressing the mental health needs of affected children and families. IACAPAP e-textbook of child and adolescent mental health. Geneva: International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions. 2013. Available from: https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-019-2023-9. (Accessed on 01/01/2022)
  9. ↑ Boivin MJ, Ruiseñor-Escudero H, Familiar-Lopez I. CNS impact of perinatal HIV infection and early treatment: the need for behavioral rehabilitative interventions along with medical treatment and care. Current Hiv/Aids Reports. 2016 Dec;13(6):318-27.
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