Parenting a child with AIDS and/or HIV

Learn about: Parenting a child with AIDS and/or HIV from Tanya Altmann, MD, FAAP,...
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Parenting a child with AIDS and/or HIV

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Parenting a child with HIV or AIDS is very different from what it was 10 years ago. Thanks to modern medicine and medications. Children with AIDS and HIV can now live full healthy lives. As with any child with chronic disease, it’s important to have a good relationship with your Pediatrician. Your child may have many different doctor’s appointments, be on many medications, so it’s a good idea to be organized. Have a notebook with all of your child’s medications, all of the doctor’s appointments, and carry it wherever you go. In that way, you’ll always know what’s going on if you were asked any questions. Do you need to tell people that your child has HIV or AIDS? It’s really up to you. I mean when they go to school, it’s a good idea for the school nurse to know and maybe a teacher or another administrator, because they’re going to be taking medications which they’re at school, but after that, it’s a personal decision. It’s like if your child has asthma or diabetes. They can do fine. You're just going to take care of them. Children with HIV and AIDS get infection just like regular kids do, but sometimes it can be more serious and there are some infections that they are more likely to get. If your child is sick, make sure you call your doctor. If they’re acting really sick, take them over to the hospital.

Learn about: Parenting a child with AIDS and/or HIV from Tanya Altmann, MD, FAAP,...

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Tanya Altmann, MD, FAAP

Pediatrician

A leading medical authority for the popular press and entertainment industry, Dr. Tanya Altmann is a best-selling author, parenting expert and media spokesperson. A working mother and UCLA-trained pediatrician who practices in Southern California, Dr. Tanya is a designated spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, communicating complicated medical issues into easily understood concepts.  She is a child health expert for numerous news programs and talk shows including Today (NBC), and KTLA (CW Los Angeles). She stays on the cutting edge through her position as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, as the Chief Medical Advisor for the Newborn Channel and her private practice.

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