Clinical presentation of HIV/AIDS in the high risk neonate in Zambia

A prospective case series study was conducted Jan 1991-Oct 1991 on 108 neonates admitted to NICU, Lusaka. 90 patients satisfied inclusion criteria, 45 cases and 45 controls. Symptomatic seropositive babies born to seropositive mothers presented with failure to thrive, fever, persistent or recurrent thrush, severe Sepsis and large liver. Tendency to prematurity among cases was high. Diarrhoea, Sepsis and Haemolytic Anaemia appear to be terminal signs. Neonates suffer the most aggressive form of HIV/AIDS, with symptomatic cases dying 3-4/52 of onset of symptoms. Over one quarter of the mothers were symptomatic. Congenital malformations and Lymphadenopathy were not significantly associated. Microcephaly occurred in association with failure to thrive and was not an isolated finding.