Science / Medicine : AZT Helps Children With AIDS

AZT, the only drug proven to help adult AIDS victims, has shown promise for limiting the devastating damage the disease inflicts on children, scientists reported last week in The New England Journal of Medicine. “It does appear to have a significant impact on the course of the disease,” said Dr. Philip Pizzo, chief of pediatrics for the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., who headed the study.

The study indicated that AZT has significant benefits for children infected with the AIDS virus, helping them gain weight, eat better, maintain a better immune system and continue normal mental development, Pizzo said.

Although only about 1,000 children are believed to be infected with the AIDS virus in the United States, representing only about 1% to 2% of all AIDS cases, the incidence of AIDS among children is increasing, the researchers said. Babies are most commonly infected with the virus from their infected mothers.

AZT, which interferes with the ability of the AIDS virus to reproduce, does not cure the disease but has been shown to be effective in adults for improving their quality of life and helping them live longer.