[Children and AIDS].

Abstract

Children suffering from HIV-infection is a serious and increasing problem all over the world. The pediatric AIDS cases are usually transmitted through vertical transmission from a HIV-infected mother to the fetus during pregnancy, but it is not possible before the age of 15 months to decide with certainty whether the infant is infected or not. The risk of HIV-transmission from mother to fetus is about 50 per cent. The prognosis of the infected infants are very bad, the morbidity and mortality are high. In USA 60 per cent of the infants with congenit HIV-infection have died before the age of 2 years. The progress of HIV-infection in infants and children is characterized by bacterial infections with subsequent sepsis, neurological symptoms and regression of the psychomotor development. Most of the families are basically suffering from severe psychosocial problems eg drug abuse and at least one of the parents is HIV-infected. A family with a HIV-antibodypositive child is a family suffering from crises, illness, lack of resources and social isolation, and is therefore in need of medical, psychological and social treatment and support. It is urgent to help these children and their families through interdisciplinary intervention to give the children an optimal quality of life. To obtain this it is necessary with interdisciplinary comprehensive programs and multidisciplinary collaboration in the community. And in these programs it is important to prioritate the primary prophylaxis in trying to reduce the number of infants born in risk of HIV-infection.