HIV symptoms in children depend on the phase of the infection, according to the Mayo Clinic website. When a child's immune system becomes weak from HIV infection, they become more susceptible to common and not so common illnesses that can be hard to treat and cure. Symptom awareness can help determine the stage of the disease.
Early Infection
Many children show no symptoms during the early stages of HIV infection. Others have swollen glands, breathing problems, and frequent bouts of fever, according to the Mayo Clinic. Poor weight gain, difficulty walking, and physical and/or mental developmental delays are also common signs of pediatric HIV infection.
Later Infection
Many children remain relatively symptom free for years. As the virus grows, the immune system continues to weaken. Many develop mild infections also seen in children not infected with HIV. Ear, sinus and lung infections, along with urinary tract, bladder, intestinal and skin infections, are also common. According to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation website, pedaids.org, when pediatric HIV patients contract these infections, they tend to be more severe, and are harder to treat and cure, compared to treatment in non-HIV patients.
End Stage Symptoms
The pedaids.org site states that when a child's immune system weakens beyond a certain point, he is more likely to contract "opportunistic" infections, or those that do not affect children with normal immune systems. Examples of opportunistic infections can include a severe type of pneumonia known as pneumocystis carinii (PCP), candida or thrush, herpes-virus infections like HSV or chicken pox, and a host of other potentially fatal viruses. These infections tend to occur when a child's CD4 lymphocyte count dips down to below 200, according to the Mayo Clinic, from a normal count that ranges between 800 and 1200.
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