HIV-INFECTION IN MALNOURISHED CHILDREN IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE

A descriptive study was undertaken to compare the pattern of socio-dem ographic features, nutritional profile and presenting features of HIV infected and uninfected children with malnutrition, A total of 140 chi ldren aged above 15 months admitted to the paediatric wards, Harare Ho spital from December 1993 to February 1994 were studied, Sixty eight ( 48.6%) children were found to be HIV seropositive and 72 negative, The socio-demographic features were similar in both groups,Marasmus and m arasmic kwashiorkor were predominant in the HIV infected children, whi lst the majority (64%) of the children in the HIV uninfected group had kwashiorkor (p=0.001). Pneumonia, lymphadenopathy, chronic dischargin g ears and oral thrush were significantly more frequent in the HIV inf ected than in the non HN infected children (p<0.01), Factors predictiv e of HIV infection were marasmus (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.04-8.10), generali sed lymphadenopathy (OR 2.77, 95 % CI 1.16-6.64), oral thrush (OR 2.72 , 95% CI 1.16-6.37) and discharging ears (OR 6.05, 95% CI 1.89-19.42) with a sensitivity of 57.6% (95% CI 45.7% - 69.5%), specificity of 71. 4% (95% CI 60.8% 82.0%), The high prevalence of HIV infection among th e malnourished children emphasises the impact of the HIV epidemic on c hildhood nutritional morbidity.