There are several symptoms and signs of HIV in children that have started to be seen since the first year of life. These range from mild initial symptoms to symptoms of severe infections that often recur. These symptoms should be anticipated if the child is born to parents who have HIV infection and do not get treatment.
According to data from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, about 3 percent of people with HIV-AIDS in Indonesia are children under 14 years of age. More than 90% of infants and children infected with HIV are infected from their mothers during pregnancy, during delivery, or through breast milk.
Transmission can also be through contaminated needles, blood transfusions, or sexual violence from HIV-infected adults. However, HIV transmission to children due to this is rare.
HIV-infected children may not necessarily have AIDS. However, if not handled properly and as early as possible, HIV can develop into AIDS which is dangerous and has high potential to cause death.
The good news, children infected with HIV who get antiretroviral treatment (ART) regularly from an early age can still grow and develop well into adulthood. Therefore, it is important for parents to recognize the signs of HIV in children from the start, so that treatment can be given as early as possible.
Symptoms of HIV in Children
HIV infection in children transmitted by the mother while in the womb or during childbirth will usually show signs within the first 12-18 months of the child's life. Even so, there are also children who do not show any symptoms until they are more than 5 years old.
HIV in children is also quite difficult to detect because the symptoms are similar to ordinary viral infections, such as flu. Nevertheless, there are several symptoms that can be suspected as signs of HIV in children, including:
1. Child's body weight does not increase
The obvious sign of HIV in children is weight gain that is difficult to gain. Ideally, the weight of a one-year-old child will reach three times the birth weight. However, children infected with HIV will usually look thin because their weight does not increase.
2. Children experiencing growth and development disorders
Children infected with HIV usually experience slower growth and development. This can be seen from the condition of children who are difficult or late to sit, stand, walk, talk late, or behavior of children who are not like other children his age.
3. Children often get sick
Children have a still developing immune system. But as a child ages, his immune system will get stronger. This should make the child avoid disease.
Beware if the child often has a fever for more than 7 days, coughs colds, swollen lymph nodes, abdominal pain, and ear infections that very often recur and last a long time. It could be that this indicates the existence of a weakened immune system that might be caused by HIV infection.
4. Children often get infections
One of the most specific signs of HIV in children is that children often experience bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic infections due to a weak immune system. Infection in children or adults suffering from HIV / AIDS is called an opportunistic infection. This infection can be:
Respiratory tract infections
Fungal infections in the mouth and throat
Gastrointestinal infections
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection
In addition to these infections, children with HIV are also prone to other severe infectious diseases, such as meningitis and sepsis.
Children who have a weakened immune system due to HIV infection can experience a recurrence of the infection more than 4 times in a period of 6-12 months. This infection should be less common if the child has normal endurance.
5. Problems with the skin
Children who suffer from HIV infection can also experience skin problems more often. These complaints can be in the form of rashes, bumps, sores, and itching on the skin that is rapidly expanding.
Disorders of the skin can be caused by various things, such as skin infections (for example fungal infections, bacterial infections, and herpes), dermatitis, to a skin disorder called Kaposi's sarcoma.
Every child with HIV infection may experience different symptoms or even no symptoms at all. The appearance of the signs above does not mean that the child must be infected with HIV. These signs may arise due to weakening of the immune system due to other causes, such as poor nutrition or side effects of certain medications.
But if you are in doubt, you should take your child to the doctor for a complete examination. The doctor will do a physical examination and recommend an HIV test if your child shows symptoms of being suspected of HIV, has parents who are HIV positive, or has parents with a history of risky behavior for contracting HIV infection.
If the test results indicate the child is HIV positive, the doctor will immediately give antiretroviral drugs to reduce the amount of HIV virus and help strengthen the child's immune system.
HIV infection can not be cured, but with regular treatment and undergoing regular health evaluations, children with HIV can live healthy.
Therefore, children who are suspected of having HIV or have been diagnosed with HIV need to get an examination and treatment from a doctor as early as possible.
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