[Guidelines for treating and managing pediatric HIV/AIDS in Japan]

Abstract

Infant to post-pubertal adolescent pediatric HIV/AIDS cases in Japan nowadays are almost exclusively originated via mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1(MTCT). According to the National Cooperative Study Group on HIV Infected Pregnant Women and MTCT in Japan, most recent MTCT rate in Japan is 0.45 %, so the cumulative number of MTCT cases is only 46. In this paper the guidelines to control pediatric HIV/AIDS are introduced to Japanese doctors who are unfamiliar to this disease and just considering or starting initial antiretrovirals (ARV). ARV for children should be palatable, unrelated to foods, CNS-penetrating and should have least short and long acting side effects. Optimal adherence to treatment is best kept through the awareness of its importance by the patients and their guardians.