As children grow into their teenage years, the challenges continue. They gain independence but also must begin to take responsibility for their chronic condition. Good nutrition and even adhering to their HAART regimen may become less important to teens as they grapple with all the complexities of living with a chronic disease like HIV—and being a teenager.
Children living with HIV need ongoing nutrition care and support.
HIV-positive children should have ongoing nutritional care at a pediatric centre to make sure they stay healthy and grow properly. If growth is slow, boosting nutrition will be an integral part of the treatment plan. The first step will be to change the child’s diet to increase calories and protein.
In more severe cases where the child still doesn’t gain weight or grow quickly enough or even loses weight, a feeding tube may be required. A PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) is the preferred method because children often need extra help for a long time.
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