Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Associated Press; Thursday October 6, 1988
However, the drug does not cure the disease, and children die despite the treatment, researchers said.
A detailed report on the treatment was published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.
HIV, the AIDS virus, destroys the body's immune system and damages the brain. In children, these neurological problems are particularly severe. Youngsters' intelligence falls, and they often lose their ability to walk and talk.
The drug AZT, also known as zidovudine or Retrovir, is already the mainstay of treatment for adults with AIDS. In the latest study, doctors gave the medicine to 21 AIDS victims who ranged from age 1 to 12.
Of these, 62 percent had clear evidence of brain damage caused by HIV, and every one improved. Overall, IQ scores rose 15 points, and in some cases the youngsters' intelligence returned to the level it was before they got sick.
The study by Dr. Philip Pizzo and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute concluded that AZT produced "consistent and dramatic improvement in symptoms."
The IQ of an 11-year-old boy had fallen from 99 to 71 after the start of AIDS symptoms. Within nine months of getting AZT, his IQ was back to 99.
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