HIV infection among children in Barbados

We studied a cohort of children with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Barbados in order to determine the prevalence of HIV infectio n, the clinical course including morbidity and mortality and the magnitude of the health care and social problems. Forty-seven children Mere diagnosed with HIV infection during the study period. The number of HIV infected chi ldren increased from 5 during 1981-85, to 14 during 1986-90, and to 21 duri ng the 1991-95 period. The majority (91.5%) of infections resulted from per inatal transmission. Six (12.8%) cases remained asymptomatic and 41 (87.2%) were symptomatic with 19 (46.3%) presenting in infancy, while 22 (53.5%) p resented post-infancy. The median age at diagnosis (class P-2) was 13 month s. Generalized lymphadenopathy (47.5%), hepatosplenomegaly (40.0%), failure to thrive (27.5%), persistent recurrent diarrhoea (15.0%), oral candidiasi s (37.5%) Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (37.5%), lymphoid interstitial pne umonia (12.5%) and progressive neurological disease (10.0%) were common HIV related conditions. Two children developed non-hodgkin's lymphoma. The med ian age at death for 23 children was 12 months, whereas the median survival after diagnosis was 4 months. Mortality was higher among those diagnosed i n infancy (73.7%) as compared to those diagnosed post-infancy (42.8%) Pneum ocystis carinii pneumonia was the most common (65.2%) cause of death, Paedi atric HIV infection is rising and contributes considerably to infant mortal ity. In this study: children took longer to be symptomatic when compared to other reports. However; once symptomatic they died early.