An infected mother can pass HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to a baby before birth, during the birth process or through breast feeding. According to the March of Dimes, about 15 percent of babies infected with HIV who are not treated at birth develop symptoms of AIDS within the first year of life and may die from the disease. Treatment during pregnancy and immediately after birth can prevent many of the symptoms from developing or slow the development of AIDS in these children.
Failure to Thrive
Failure to thrive is a common symptom in infants infected with HIV. Failure to thrive is characterized by a low rate of growth during infancy. Babies who fail to thrive have lower weight, are shorter and have a smaller head circumference than other babies their age. Failure to thrive can lead to permanent physical and mental damage even if the child is treated and begins to grow later in childhood.
Swollen Lymph Nodes
Swollen lymph nodes often accompany infections of different types and an HIV infection is no exception. Lymph nodes are glands found in the neck, groin area, base of the skull and under the armpits. Lymph nodes store bacteria, cellular debris and other foreign materials to be cleared from the body, explains pediatrician and author Dr. Alan Greene. They also serve as a place for immune cells to congregate and create antibodies against the foreign particles stored and processed there. In AIDS, HIV-infected T-cells cause the nodes to swell as the body tries to fight the infection. Generally, an HIV infection will cause multiple nodes to swell all over the body, not only one or two lymph nodes as a localized infection might.
Swollen Abdomen
In some infants who are infected with HIV, the abdomen may swell abnormally. This occurs because internal organs swell up due to AIDS and push out on the abdominal wall. The spleen and liver are commonly affected in HIV-positive babies.
Oral Thrush
Oral thrush, also known as an oral yeast infection, commonly affects even infants who are not infected with HIV. In babies with AIDS; however, the infection may be more severe, lasting longer than two weeks, and may go on to infect other areas of the body. Oral thrush in pediatric AIDS patients typically doesn't go away on its own and standard treatments for yeast infections in babies may not work. In these babies, stronger medication may be required, such as fluconazole, sold under the brand name Diflucan, or ketoconazole, also known as Nizoral, explains Medline Plus, a website of the National Institutes of Health.
Other Symptoms
Babies with HIV may also exhibit other symptoms. Intermittent diarrhea is common in babies with AIDS. These infants are also more prone to developing opportunistic infections such as pneumonia or meningitis.
