Signs & Symptoms of AIDS in Children

Children who have HIV/AIDS can take medications to help treat or prevent opportunistic infections. AIDS, which stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is caused by the HIV virus, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus. A child who has AIDS has a damaged immune system comprised of fewer than 200 CD4 cells or a CD4 percentage of under 14. There are some common symptoms of children who have AIDS.

Signs of Weight Loss

• Go to a doctor if a child is not gaining weight.

  Since children with HIV/AIDS are so sick, it's difficult for them to gain weight. The Nemours Foundation points out that children in the later stages of infection with AIDS also frequently have diarrhea, which leads to dehydration and weight loss.

Stunted Mental and Physical Growth

• Monitor your child's physical and mental development closely.

  According to the Mayo Clinic, once the HIV has developed into full-blown AIDS, children have difficulty growing normally and walking. They also have a delay in their mental development. This could lead to problems with crawling, walking, speaking and can also affect school performance.

Rashes and Skin Infections

• Keep a close eye on signs of rashes in children.

  Candidiasis symptoms occur in children with HIV/AIDS according to Childrens Hospital Boston. These infections could include throat infections, mouth infections and diaper rashes.

Child Shows Symptoms of Severe Common Illnesses

• Little colds become big problems in children with AIDS.

  The immune system does not work well in children infected with HIV/AIDS due to the low number of CD4 cells as a result of the virus. Because of the suppressed immune system, once a child becomes ill, it's difficult to cure his symptoms. According to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, when the immune system is extremely weak, a child might develop opportunistic infections such as herpes simplex, pneumonia and toxoplasmosis among other illnesses.

Signs That AIDS Affects the Brain

• Children with advances stages of AIDS have seizures.

  In addition to neurological problems that caused delay in cognitive skills, a child with AIDS might also experience seizures, according to WrongDiagnosis.com. A seizure is a result of excessive neuronal activity in the brain.