7/29/2019 The Clinical Features of HIV and Methods

1/2

SYMPOSIUM ON PEDIATRIC HIV/AIDS

Editorial: The Clinical Features of HIV and Methods

to Prevent its Transmission

Guest Editor: Rashid H. Merchant

Received: 28 August 2012 /Accepted: 30 August 2012 /Published online: 4 October 2012# Dr. K C Chaudhuri Foundation 2012

Presently, approximately 2.5 million children in the world

live with HIV, and about 1,000 children succumb to AIDS

daily. The countdown to zero global initiative is ongoing,and its goal is to eliminate new HIV infection in children by

2015 and increase the survival rates of their mothers. The

2012 WHO PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Trans-

mission) program recommends a single universal regime

both to treat pregnant women for HIV and to prevent trans-

mission to their infants.

This special issue of the IJP focuses on actions which may

be taken to ensure that no child is born with HIV. The articles

have been written by academicians specialized in this field

and peer reviewed. Hopefully, information provided in these

manuscripts will help in the achievement of our goals and will

enhance the care offered to the HIV infected child.HIV transmission may occur before, during, or after

delivery; however, even in the absence of intervention not

all children born to seropositive women will get infected.

The single most important risk factor determining vertical

transmission is the maternal plasma viral load. Maternal

plasma HIV load of >100,000 copies has a transmission rate

as high as 40 %, while transmission is seldom reported with

viral load

7/29/2019 The Clinical Features of HIV and Methods

2/2

Within the article Common Clinical Problems in

Children Living with HIV/AIDS: Systemic Approach,

Merchant and Lala have methodically divided different

manifestations into the organ systems affected. Children

have a poorly developed immunity which permits greater

dissemination of the virus throughout the body and major

differences in their clinical features when compared to

adults. In the respiratory system three important diseasesare described: Lymphoid Interstitial Pneumonitis, Pneumo-

cystis jiroveci Pneumonia and Tuberculosis. Besides caus-

ing numerous opportunistic infections, the virus itself is

responsible for HIV related encephalopathy, HIV enteropa-

thy, and HIV associated nephropathy. Recognition of these

signs and symptoms early in the disease process not only

helps in timely diagnosis but also in gauging progression

and response to treatment.

It is now estimated that only 28 % of children in need of

HIV treatment are receiving it, and that 30 % of HIV

infected infants die within their first year if untreated. A

better way, perhaps, to attack this problem is through pre-

vention of transmission itself. The elimination of pediatric

HIV infection is no longer a dream and is within reach, asvirtual prevention of MTCT is now possible. I commend the

IJP for choosing such a valuable topic for their symposium

with the intention of spreading awareness to all of its read-

ers. We now have the unprecedented opportunity of making

new pediatric infection history; however this is going to be

no easy task in our country.

1490 Indian J Pediatr (November 2012) 79(11):14891490