Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Mar 25;5(3):e73.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050073.

When should children with HIV infection be started on antiretroviral therapy?

Affiliations

When should children with HIV infection be started on antiretroviral therapy?

Steven B Welch et al. PLoS Med. .

Abstract

The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) dramatically improved the prognosis for both adults and children infected with HIV who had access to treatment. However, the optimal timing for initiating treatment remains controversial, particularly in children. This debate lays out the case for deferred treatment against the case for early initiation of HAART in children.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

References

    1. Violari A, Cotton M, Gibb D. Antiretroviral therapy initiated before 12 weeks of age reduces early mortality in young HIV-infected infants: Evidence from the Children with HIV Early Antiretroviral Therapy (CHER) Study [Abstract WESS103] 2007. 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention; 22–25 July 2007; Sydney, Australia. Available: http://www.ias2007.org/pag/Abstracts.aspx?AID=5557. Accessed 15 February 2008.
    1. El-Sadr WM, Lundgren JD, Neaton JD, Gordin F, et al. CD4+ count-guided interruption of antiretroviral treatment. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:2283–2296. The Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (SMART) Study Group. - PubMed
    1. Paterson DL, Swindells S, Mohr J, Brester M, Vergis EN, et al. Adherence to protease inhibitor therapy and outcomes in patients with HIV infection. Ann Intern Med. 2000;133:21–30. - PubMed
    1. Dunn D. Short-term risk of disease progression in HIV-1-infected children receiving no antiretroviral therapy or zidovudine monotherapy: A meta-analysis. Lancet. 2003;362:1605–1611. HIV Paediatric Prognostic Markers Collaborative Study Group. - PubMed
    1. Sharland M, Blanche S, Castelli G, Ramos J, Gibb DM. PENTA guidelines for the use of antiretroviral therapy, 2004. HIV Med. 2004;5(Suppl 2):61–86. on behalf of the PENTA Steering Committee. - PubMed

Substances