Can Pediatric AIDS be Treated?
Treatment for pediatric AIDS is aimed at halting the progression of AIDS. Antibiotics are generally given in the first months of life to keep the baby from acquiring pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). PCP is an infection that is AIDS-related. Antibiotics can also keep other bacterial infections from developing. Doctors will also vaccinate babies against many common illnesses to prolong their health. There are experimental vaccines which are being studied specifically for pediatric AIDS patients. Many pediatric AIDS patients will have repeated injections of gamma globulin. This is administered through an IV in an attempt to help the child’s body ward off infections. What You Can Do Children who have pediatric AIDS need special love and attention. Their lives are bombarded with repeated trips to the hospital and doctor’s office, and they need to be made to feel that they are as normal, special and loved as other children. Assure all extended family and friends that they will not catch
