Table of contents:
- The condition of children with HIV / AIDS
- Tips for caring for children with HIV / AIDS
- Choose a pediatrician with experience with HIV / AIDS
- Take special drugs for HIV patients
- Check with your doctor regularly
- Avoid children from stress
As an adult, a child who is infected with the HIV virus (Human immunodefieciency virus) need proper care in order to live a healthy life. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system. This condition can develop into AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), so that it will make children susceptible to various diseases. Then, how to care for children infected with HIV / AIDS? Check out the explanation and tips below.
The condition of children with HIV / AIDS
HIV can be transmitted through body fluids, such as blood, sperm, or breast milk (ASI). This transmission can occur during pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, having sex without a condom, or sharing needles. However, the HIV virus is not transmitted through touch.
Usually a child gets HIV as a result of being infected from his own mother during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. Children with HIV show various signs of a weakened immune system, such as weight loss and difficulty gaining weight, persistent rashes on the body, swollen lymph nodes, chronic diarrhea, chronic mouth sores, and prolonged fever.
Therefore, children who are infected with HIV need to receive proper care. If not, a child could be affected by a serious disease caused by HIV, namely AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). If they have progressed to AIDS, they will have very weak immunity and will be at greater risk of developing other, more serious diseases.
Children with HIV have progressed to AIDS, usually showing symptoms of rapid and drastic weight loss, lung infection (pneumonia), Kaposi's sarcoma, and lymphoma (cancer of the cells of the immune system).
HIV sufferers in children and adults are different. In adults, the immune system is more mature, while the child's immune system is still developing. That way, despite taking HIV drugs, children with HIV are more likely to experience bacterial infection than adults.
Tips for caring for children with HIV / AIDS
Here are some treatment steps that can be taken to treat children suffering from HIV / AIDS.
Choosing a pediatrician who has experience with HIV / AIDS patients is very important for the health of your child. You can feel more comfortable and calm. The recommended treatment will feel more appropriate.
Providing treatment as early as possible can prevent children with HIV AIDS from further damage. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all children with HIV who are under five years of age and children with HIV over the age of five with CD4 cell counts less than 500 need to receive special HIV treatment. Consult your doctor for administration of this drug.
After starting treatment, don't forget to check your child regularly. This is necessary in order to know its progress and to prevent more serious diseases.
Even though you are suffering from HIV / AIDS, you must not forget that he needs to have precious little experiences like any other child. This is necessary to avoid stress on your child as a result of continuous care.
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