Question
What is the life expectancy of a child who is HIV positive?
14 August 2024. Related: All topics, Children, Life expectancy.
What is the life expectancy of an HIV positive child?
Answer
Hi there
HIV treatment is now very good.
This means that with early diagnosis and treatment it is now very common for children to lead long and normal lives.
The greatest risk is in the first year of life, which is why early diagnosis and treatment is so important. If children are able to cope with the first year of treatment, then the outlook is very good.
Both PENTA [Paediatric European Network for the treatment of AIDS] and WHO [World Health Organisation] guidelines recommend starting ART [antiretroviral treatment] for all infants with HIV below the age of 12 months. The USA guidelines recommend ART for all infants. For more information on guidelines for treating babies and children, please follow these links to the European, WHO and USA guidelines.
The good news is that in the UK, with access to and good use of treatment, care and support, many children born with HIV are now in their mid to late 20s.
Many of these young people are either in college, working or starting families of their own.
This answer was updated in 2024 from a question first posted in 2012.
Hello Sissy and thanks for getting in touch.
Swollen lymph nodes should always be investigated although they might not indicate a problem necessarily.
What has your doctor said about this?
Based on what you write about your child being tested at birth and at 18 months, this doesn’t look relevant to HIV.
Other conditions should be excluded though so having him checked out is very important.
Hi . My child tested hiv negative at birth and also hiv negative at 18 months and he is growing bigger than his age mates. The thing is I got so freaked out when I noticed a little lymph nodes on his neck and groin. He is 6yrs old now ..should i be worried?