What are the symptoms of AIDS in babies?
HIV-infected babies appear normal at birth, but about 15 percent of untreated babies develop serious symptoms and may die in the first year of life (11). Before combination drug treatment, about half of HIV-infected children died by age 9 (12). Now more than 95 percent of treated children survive, and most are free of serious symptoms much of the time (12). Babies of women with HIV should be tested for the virus at 14 to 21 days, 1 to 2 months, and 4 to 6 months (11). Some providers also test babies within 48 hours of birth (11). These early tests, which detect the virus itself instead of the antibodies, can identify most infected babies by 1 month and virtually all by 4 months (11). The HIV antibody test is not reliable for an infant born to an infected mother. This is because the mothers antibodies may be present in her babys blood for up to 18 months, even if the baby has not been infected. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all infants with HIV be treated with a combina
