Infants with AIDS: Implications for development

It is well known that HIV-infected women of child bearing ages are reported to be at substantive risk of transmission of AIDS. A complex illness with devastating consequences, AIDS affects an infant's interactions with the physical and social environment. As such, physiological and neurological impairments associated with AIDS prevent and increase the difficulty of optimal developmental progression. With the increasing numbers of infants afflicted with this disease, as well as the predictions for the rest of the adult population, the associated emotional and social ramifications need to be addressed by the health community. To illustrate the impact of AIDS on developmental processes, excerpts from three documented case histories are presented to highlight physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive impairment.