HIV-Infected Children and Nutrition: The Friend and The Foe

The impact of nutrition on HIV-infected children has been evaluated in multiple studies. Our review of the current trends of nutrition-related studies revealed that the focus has moved from simply the disease consequences of HIV to ensuring that antiretroviral therapy-treated children are well nourished to ensure growth and development. This update aims to present the state of the art regarding nutrition of HIV-infected children and the real potential for nutrition to serve as a dynamic therapy in this group. Recent World Health Organization reports indicate that the HIV/AIDS disease is curbing in incidence worldwide despite the high 1.8 million children, less than 15 years, reported in 2017. In addition, the literature supports the complexity and bidirectional relation between nutrition and HIV. HIV infection has a substantial effect on the nutritional status, in particular, the gastrointestinal side effects, which, in turn, have a profound impact on HIV infection. Advances in the field have transformed the course of the disease into a chronic illness, where more attention was given to lifestyle and quality of life including nutrition. However, achievement of food security, nutrition accessibility, and appropriate handling of nutrition-related complications of HIV infection are remarkable challenges, particularly, in resource poor environments, where most HIV infections exist.