| Abstract: | Lab analyses show that children with HIV differ in disease characteristics from HIV-infected adults. In children, viral load and T-cells are higher initially, but gradually decline and achieve a plateau by age six. Like adults, both T-cells and two separate viral load levels must be considered when deciding on therapy. CD4+ cell counts below 25 percent of normal age levels warrant therapy. There is a substantial overlap in viral load levels in the first year of life between children who have rapid disease progression and those who do not. One study revealed that the average viral load for the first year of life was 185,000. For children below 2 years of age, viral load needs to multiply or decrease by five times to be considered a significant change, compared to a threefold difference for persons more than 2 years of age. |
