Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is a retrovirus responsible for causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. According to USAID, in 2008, around 430,000 children under 15 were newly infected with HIV, bringing the total number of children living with HIV to 2.1 million. Children's Hospital Boston states that HIV is mainly transmitted to children from HIV-infected mothers during pregnancy, vaginal birth or breastfeeding, and causes a variety of symptoms.
Delayed Growth
MayoClinic.com states that HIV-infected children have problems gaining weight and growing normally according to standardized growth curves. HIV-infected children may fail to reach developmental milestones due to poor weight gain, lack of bone growth and lack of neurological development. Developmental milestones are a set of age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age. For example, most children can walk and talk by the time they are two years old.
Delayed Mental Development
According to MayoClinic.com, HIV may cause delayed mental development in children. As HIV progresses into AIDS in children, neurological problems and HIV encephalopathy may occur, leading to delayed mental development. Children may also develop cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that causes mental retardation. Poor school performance is a sign of delayed mental development.
Severe Forms of Childhood Illnesses
According to MayoClinic.com, HIV-infected children are susceptible to the same opportunistic infections as adults, and may suffer from severe common childhood illnesses more than uninfected children. Common childhood illnesses include middle ear infections, sinus infections, tonsillitis, pneumonia and common colds.
