Nutritional care for HIV-infected children

In the area of nutrition and HIV, children deserve special attention during this critical period of growth and development, and because of their dependency on adults for adequate care.

Wasting, poor growth and undernutrition are common in HIV-infected children. These circumstances often reflect a failure within the health system, the home and community rather than biological processes related to the infection.

WHO recommends that nutritional assessment and support should be integrated into the routine care of HIV-infected children. Dietary interventions should consider issues of food security, food quantity and food quality, as well as absorption and digestion of nutrients.