A Review of Pediatric HIV Effects on Neurocognitive Development

Abstract

There are 2.3-million children infected with HIV worldwide. Medical advances and therapies have increased the life expectancy of HIV-infected children and improved their quality of life. This article reviews the HIV literature over the past 15 years related to children's development including: (1) the effects of HIV on the neurocognitive development of children; (2) the relationship between disease status and developmental functioning in HIV-infected children; and (3) the influence of the environmental context on HIV-infected children's development. As children with HIV continue to live longer, they will become a population of children with special needs. This paper reflects the current evidence of these needs and explores the interventions available to HIV-infected children.

Keywords:

• HIV
• Children
• Neurocognitive
• Development