Background: Role of Highly Active Retro Viral Therapy (HAART) in improving the nutritional status and immunity in poorly accessible areas of developing countries has been inadequately documented.This study aims to assess the effect of HAART on weight, height and CD4 counts of Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) infected children and analyze factors associated with the effect.

Methods: Anthropometric measurements and CD4 counts were taken on registration and follow up and duly recorded.

Results: 107 children were studied for one year out of these 63 received ART on the basis of CD4 counts or symptoms. The mean weight improved from 16.67±7.64kg to 19.63±9.15kg in boys and from 18.45±9.77kg to 21.7±10.89kg in girls. The mean height increased from 105.82±21.5cm to 108.75±23.18cm in boys and from 107.7cm to 108.58±24.54cm in girls. The percentage of underweight, stunted and wasted children decreased after the start of HAART from 58.7% to 32.6%, 69.8% to 60.5% and 21.7% to 11.4% respectively. Weight for age and weight for height z scores improved significantly while height for age showed a small increase. No effect on CD4 countswas seen.

Conclusions: HAART has a positive effect on growthin HIV1 infected children irrespective of nutritional supplementation. The change is more significant in severe forms of malnutrition. We strongly recommend viral load estimation for better monitoring and prompt and universal initiation of HAART in children with HIV infection to prevent growth failure.

Keywords: Malnutrition; Children with HIV/AIDS; HAART; CD4 Count.