AIDS in children: a review of the clinical, epidemiologic and public health aspects.

A high level of suspicion by every provider is very important to ensure diagnosis and complete reporting. Such active surveillance will enable effective national monitoring of the occurrence of the disease, the definition of new risk groups and the identification of unusual cases for further study. Physicians and health care workers should report all children and adults suspected of having AIDS to their state health departments who, in turn, report to the CDC. It is clear that the number of cases of AIDS in children and adolescents is increasing because of either increased occurrence, increased diagnosis and/or increased surveillance. Pediatric health care personnel, especially those in high prevalence areas and those caring for high risk populations, need to be aware of AIDS and the problem encountered in caring for these children.