The aim of the study was to detect neurological abnormalities in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected children. This was achieved by a prospective evaluation, from November/1995 to April/2000, of 43 HIV infected children (group I) and 40 HIV seroreverters children (group II) through neurological exam and neurodevelopmental tests: Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) and Clinical Adaptive Test/Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale (CAT/CLAMS). A control group (III), of 67 children, were evaluated by CAT/CLAMS. Hyperactivity, irritability and hypotonia were the findings on neurological examination, without statistical differences between group I and II. On CAT/CLAMS, the group I developmental quotient (DQ) was significantly lower than the other groups. The same occurred in DDST, with group I presenting significantly more failures than group II. Nineteen HIV children of group I had brain computed tomographic scan, with abnormalities in three of them (basal ganglia calcification, white matter hypodensity and asymmetry of lateral ventricles). We conclude that in HIV infected children a neurodevelopment delay occur early in the disease, and it can be detected by screening tests.