Nutritional status in HIV infection in infancy

: The physiopathology of malnutrition among AIDS, ARC and HIV infected children was reviewed. One-hundred eight-three newborns were studied, 152 of which were born at "La Fe" Maternity Hospital. Of these patients, 29% were LBW and 28% preterm. Transfused and hemophiliac patients were excluded from the study. Anorexia, vomiting, fever, infections of the respiratory and GI tracts and drug therapy were the most frequent factors affecting the nutritional status. Fifty-three newborns were infected with the HIV (29%). The children were classified into three groups (G). Group-I was formed by HIV+children > 18 months of age, G-II, P-2 class by children 18 months of age, 65% had a weight 18 months of age. The differences between G-I and G-II-G-III were statistically significant, p < 0.01. The biochemical quantification of the nutritional status was difficult due to the limited amount of blood available. HIV infected children require nutrition supplementation to maintain an adequate nutritional status. Among these patients, malnutrition is a multifactorial phenomenon.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)