How do children use HIV treatment?

Children with HIV are treated in a similar way as adults. However, there are a few important differences.

The immune system and drug absorption can be different in babies, children and adults. This is why specialist paediatric HIV care is recommended for children of all ages.

CD4 counts are higher in children than adults. A new-born baby, for example, can have a CD4 count that is 3000 cells/mm³. Because of these differences, children are usually monitored by their CD4 percentage (CD4%).

This is the percentage of white blood cells (lymphocytes) that are CD4 cells.

• The CD4% of an HIV-negative adult is around 40%.
• A CD4% of 12-15% is similar to a CD4 count of about 200 in an adult
• A CD4% of 22% is about 350 and 25-30% is about 500

There are separate treatment guidelines for children. However, they tend to be updated less frequently than adult guidelines. It is therefore important to be aware of changes in adult care that may be just as relevant for children.

For more information about children and HIV, visit the Children with HIV Association (CHIVA) and PENTA web sites:

• www.chiva.org.uk
• www.penta.org