Bone mass in children and adolescents infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

Objective: To describe bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) in children and adolescents infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and to compare them with data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV (NHANES IV).

Method: The study included 48 children and adolescents (7 to 17 years old) infected with HIV through vertical transmission. BMC and BMD were measured by dual energy absorptiometry X-ray, by calculating z-scores based on data from NHANES IV.