The Effect of HIV on Developmental Milestones in Children

Abstract

Development indicates maturation of functions; it is a continuous process starting in utero and progresses in an orderly manner until maturity. Both growth and development are closely related hence factors affecting one, also tend to affect the other. The Central Statistical Office’s Living Conditions Survey of 2010 in Zambia indicated that amongst children aged between 3 to 59 months which is just under 6 years 48.3% of the children in the rural areas of Zambia were stunted and 42.3% were stunted in the urban areas with an average stunted rate of 46.7% overall in the whole country. The first 24 months of life technically denotes the infancy period. It is a time when a child’s brain undergoes rapid development. During this phase, a child attains several milestones relating to motor, cognitive and behavioral development. This is a very sensitive period whereby any slight disruption to the process can negatively result into growth failure in terms of both motor and cognitive development. HIV has been linked to a wide range of developmental challenges such as cognitive development stagnation, neurological problems, learning difficulties and speech and language problems. Though it is difficult to isolate its singular effect on the neurological status of children infected with it, research has established that 90% of the HIV positive children have neurological problems. HIV is a serious health concern in Zambia, this paper highlights literature in this area and discusses the impact of HIV on the developmental milestones of children and makes a comparison to the developmental milestones of children who are HIV negative.