Nearly all HIV-infected children under the age of 13 in the United States contracted the virus during childbirth, according to the Children's Hospital in Boston. The symptoms of HIV and AIDS in children are highly dependent on the child's age. Perhaps more importantly, HIV and AIDS symptoms in children vary based on the phase of the HIV infection, known as AIDS in its later stages.
Failure to Thrive
Many children with HIV experience failure to thrive because they have poor weight gain and bone growth. The onset of growth delays can vary, beginning during infancy or even later on in childhood. According to the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative article titled "Growth in HIV-Infected Children," Drs. Elizabeth D. Lowenthal and Ryan Phelps note that these growth delays become more significant with age and the course of the virus. Children with advanced stages of AIDS tend to have poorer growth than those with lower viral loads during the earlier stages of HIV.
Swelling
Swelling of various organs or glands can appear early as infancy but also depends on a child's age. According to the Children's Hospital in Boston, infants with HIV may experience swollen lymph nodes along with a swollen abdomen due to liver and spleen swelling. Older children may experience swelling in the parotid salivary glands located near the front of the ear.
Mental Delays
HIV-infected children are likely to experience mental and motor development delays, according to authors Nicholas Blanchette, Mary Lou-Smith, Alda Fernandes-Penney, Susan King and Stanley Read. In their study titled "Cognitive and Motor Development in Children with Vertically Transmitted HIV Infection," appearing in the June-July 2001 edition of Brain and Cognition, they concluded that HIV-infected infants scored significantly lower on both the MDI mental scale and the PDI performance scale. The authors were also able to identify abnormalities associated with motor development delays in the majority of the study's subjects using brain CT scans.
Opportunistic Infections
Children with HIV often fall prey to opportunistic infections that an otherwise healthy immune system could fight off. These infections are often more severe or more frequent forms of common childhood illnesses, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Examples include ear infections, pneumonia and tonsillitis, as well as recurring sinus infections and an itchy skin rash known as dermatitis. As the virus progresses and the immune system further deteriorates, children are likely to develop life-threatening pneumonias along with yeast infections in the lungs and digestive track.
