Infant feeding dilemmas created by HIV: South African experiences

Breast-feeding is a route of HIV transmission from an HIV infected mother to her infant. However, breast-feeding is an important pillar of child survival and part of a mother's womanhood. This paper highlights the dilemma created by the risks and the benefits of breast-feeding and will discuss the implementation in South Africa, of the Safer Breastfeeding Programme, to reduce some of the known risk factors associated with HIV transmission. Operations research was carried out, including infant HIV testing at 6 wk, and 9, 12, and 15 mo. Among 188 breast-fed infants enrolled in the program who were HIV negative at 6 wk, 4 became infected by 9 mo of age (2.6%). Infants enrolled in the Safer Breastfeeding Programme had less breast pathology than is usually reported for HIV infected women. Limited success was attained in promoting heat treatment of expressed breast milk; however, it does appear to be a feasible option after 6 mo of age, and it is believed that mothers would practice it more widely if sufficient promotion and support was given to it. Mothers found it difficult to stop breast-feeding earlier than the norm, and it therefore is important that mothers considering early cessation of breast-feeding be given sufficient preparation and support.     

A longitudinal qualitative study of infant-feeding decision making and practices among HIV-positive women in South Africa

This study examined the challenges that HIV-positive women face at different stages of early infant feeding using a longitudinal, qualitative design. The study explored factors influencing infant-feeding decision-making and behavior of HIV-positive mothers and identified characteristics of women and their environments that contributed to success in maintaining exclusivity of their infant feeding practices. The study was undertaken at 3 sites in South Africa. Participants consisted of a purposive sample of 27 women who had a positive HIV test result during antenatal care and were intending to either exclusively breast-feed or exclusively formula-feed their infants. Women were interviewed once antenatally and at 1, 4, 6, and 12 wk postpartum. Just under one-half of the women who initiated breast-feeding maintained exclusivity and over two-thirds of the women who initiated formula-feeding maintained exclusivity. Key characteristics of women who achieved success in exclusivity included the ability to resist pressure from the family to introduce other fluids and to recall key messages on mother-to-child transmission risks and mixed feeding. Among women who maintained exclusive breast-feeding, a strong belief in the benefits of breast-feeding and a supportive home environment was important. For women using formula milk, having resources such as electricity, a kettle, and flask made feeding at night easier. Support for infant feeding that extends beyond the antenatal period is important to enable mothers to cope with new challenges and pressures at critical times during the early postpartum period.     

Breast-feeding, Mastitis, and HIV Transmission: Nutritional Implications

In many developing countries, transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from mother to infant occurs through breast-feeding. Mastitis, an inflammatory process in the breast, may be common in lactating women in Africa and is associated with both higher HIV load in breast milk and mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Antioxidant micronutrient deficiencies may increase the risk of mastitis. Whether prevention, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment of mastitis will help reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV in breast-feeding women needs further study.     

Collection of standardized information on infant feeding in the context of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Complete avoidance of breast-feeding is the surest way to avoid mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV through breast-feeding, but replacement feeding exposes infants, especially those born in developing countries, to the risk of other infectious diseases with consequent increase in morbidity and mortality. One study has suggested that exclusive breast-feeding during the first months of life carries a lower risk of HIV transmission than when other foods are given in addition to breast milk. Other studies have provided limited data on the risks of HIV transmission according to different patterns of breast-feeding, but studies have used different definitions of breast-feeding patterns and have analysed their data with adjustment on different risk factors. This hampers our ability to understand the mechanisms underlying HIV transmission through breast milk and the risks associated with different infant feeding practices. Consequently it is difficult to determine the best interventions to reduce the risk of transmission and the development of optimal policies. In collaboration with research teams involved with infant feeding research, the World Health Organization has developed a tool to assist studies on MTCTto collect information in a standardized manner, using common definitions and terms. The purpose is to facilitate comparisons between studies and the quantification of the risks of transmission according to various feeding patterns, after adjusting for potential confounding variables. The tool includes a core questionnaire to record infant feeding practices and other key information on the mother's and the infant's health. It also provides guidance on methods of analysis and presentation of the complex data on infant feeding. The tool can be used in prospective research studies on MTCT prevention, as well as providing the framework to assess infant feeding patterns in intervention programmes, such as those providing intensive counselling to mothers on infant feeding. The tool will facilitate the compilation of information from these studies which will ultimately provide scientific basis for updating guidelines and policies on infant feeding by mothers infected with HIV.     

Perceptions of the role of maternal nutrition in HIV-positive breast-feeding women in Malawi

A neglected issue in the literature on maternal nutrition and HIV is how HIV-positive women perceive their own bodies, health, and well-being, particularly in light of their infection, and whether these perceptions influence their infant feeding practices and their perceived ability to breast-feed exclusively through 6 mo. We conducted formative research to better understand breast-feeding practices and perceptions, and to inform the Breastfeeding, Antiretroviral, and Nutrition (BAN) Study, a clinical trial to evaluate antiretroviral and nutrition interventions to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV during breast-feeding in Lilongwe, Malawi. Twenty-two HIV-positive women living in semi-rural areas on the periphery of Lilongwe participated in in-depth interviews. In an adaptation of the body-silhouette methodology, nine culturally appropriate body silhouettes, representing a continuum of very thin to very large shapes, were used to elicit women's views on their present, previous-year, and preferred body shapes, and on the shape they perceived as healthy. The narrative scenario method was also used to explore women's views on 2 fictional women infected with HIV and their ability to exclusively breast-feed. Women perceived larger body shapes as healthy, because fatness is considered a sign of good health and absence of disease, and many recognized the role of nutrition in achieving a preferred or healthy body shape. Several women believed their nutritional status (body size) was declining because of their illness. Women were concerned that breast-feeding may increase the progression of HIV, suggesting that international guidelines to promote appropriate infant feeding practices for infants whose mothers are infected with HIV should focus on the mother's health and well-being, as well as the infant's.     

Infant feeding and HIV

Mother-to-child HIV transmission is the main cause of HIV infection in children. About two thirds of children infected vertically are infected during pregnancy and around the time of delivery, while the remainder are infected during breast-feeding. Although breast-feeding tends to be the best way to feed infants, substituting breast-feeding can reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission when mothers are HIV-seropositive. However, when breast milk substitutes are used, infants are 5 times more likely to have bacterial infections than are breast-fed infants, even in the context of good hygiene. Where hygiene is poor, artificially fed infants may be 20 times more likely to die from diarrhea than are breast-fed infants. HIV-positive women need information on the risks and benefits of breast-feeding and of the various alternatives, and support in deciding which method is best. Infant feeding options are discussed.     

Breast-feeding among female employees at a major health institution in Lagos, Nigeria

The importance of breast-feeding to the health of infant and mother is discussed. However the working conditions of employed women in developing countries prevent exclusive breast-feeding once the mother has returned to work after delivery and also present obstacles to partial breast-feeding. The breast-feeding practices of women employed at a major health institution in Lagos, Nigeria are examined. Duration of breast-feeding was in inverse relation to salary level. Women on the lowest salaries had a mean duration of breast-feeding their last child of 8 months, whereas women in senior professional positions had a mean breast-feeding duration of 3.3 months. Conflicts with work responsibilities were the most commonly cited reason for terminating breast-feeding earlier than the mother desired. If a creche was available at place of work, half the women surveyed said they would breast-feed for longer. Anticipated durations, if a creche was available, would lengthen breast-feeding to 12 months for lowest paid women and to nearly 9 months for women at the higher salary levels. Present options available to the employed women who wishes to breast-feed as long as possible, namely the use of wet-nurses and expression of breast-milk, are discussed. It is concluded that the most satisfactory means of promoting breast-feeding among employed women is the provision of paid leave post delivery for at least three months and the provision of a creche at place of work. The costs should be borne by the employer, assisted by government in the form of grants and tax-relief.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Making the choice: the translation of global HIV and infant feeding policy to local practice among mothers in Pune, India

In 2003, India had over 5.1 million infected individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The percentage of all HIV cases attributed to perinatal transmission has been increasing steadily from 0.33% of total cases in 1999 to 2.80% in 2004. Recent statistics indicate that over 130,000 infants have been infected through this route. Despite recent advances in reducing in utero and interpartum transmission with the use of antiretrovirals, there is a critical need to make infant feeding safer. Current UNAIDS/WHO/UNICEF recommendations stress avoidance of all breast-feeding if replacement feeding fulfills the key requirements of being affordable, feasible, acceptable, sustainable, and safe. In this paper, we examine how the UNAIDS/WHO/UNICEF recommendations have been actualized within the context of an urban government hospital in India. The documented patterns of infant feeding by HIV-positive mothers in Pune, India, from 2000 to 2004, highlight the complexities of making an informed and healthy choice under suboptimal conditions. The data indicate that interpersonal variations in the key requirements greatly influence the optimal practice to minimize mortality risks. Moreover, local information on health outcomes is crucial to tailoring policy recommendations to save lives. We propose the development of a decision-making algorithm that includes factors affecting mother-to-infant transmission, including site-specific data on health risks to the mother and the child. Such an algorithm would allow identification of the healthiest feeding choice and would minimize the pitfalls of promoting homogeneous practices lacking site-specific evidence-based evaluation.     

Racial disparities in reported prenatal care advice from health care providers.

OBJECTIVES. The relationship between certain maternal behaviors and adverse pregnancy outcomes has been well documented. One method to alter these behaviors is through the advice of women's health care providers. Advice from providers may be particularly important in minority populations, who have higher rates of infant mortality and prematurity. This study examines racial disparities according to women's self-report of advice received from health care providers during pregnancy in four areas: tobacco use, alcohol consumption, drug use, and breast-feeding. METHODS. Health care providers' advice to 8310 White non-Hispanic and Black women was obtained from the National Maternal and Infant Health Survey. RESULTS. After controlling for sociodemographic, utilization, and medical factors, Black women were more likely to report not receiving advice from their prenatal care providers about smoking cessation and alcohol use. The difference between Blacks and Whites also approached significance for breast-feeding. No overall difference was noted in advice regarding cessation of drug use, although there was a significant interaction between race and marital status. CONCLUSIONS. These data suggest that Black women may be at greater risk for not receiving information that could reduce their chances of having an adverse pregnancy outcome.     

Session 1: Public health nutrition. Breast-feeding practices in Ireland

Breast-feeding is the superior infant feeding method from birth, with research consistently demonstrating its numerous short- and long-term health benefits for both mother and infant. As a global recommendation the WHO advises that mothers should exclusively breast-feed for the first 6-months of life, thus delaying the introduction of solids during this time. Historically, Irish breast-feeding initiation rates have remained strikingly low in comparison with international data and there has been little improvement in breast-feeding duration rates. There is wide geographical variation in terms of breast-feeding initiation both internationally and in Ireland. Some of these differences in breast-feeding rates may be associated with differing socio-economic characteristics. A recent cross-sectional prospective study of 561 pregnant women attending a Dublin hospital and followed from the antenatal period to 6 months post partum has found that 47% of the Irish-national mothers initiated breast-feeding, while only 24% were still offering 'any' breast milk to their infants at 6 weeks. Mothers' positive antenatal feeding intention to breast-feed is indicated as one of the most important independent determinants of initiation and 'any' breast-feeding at 6 weeks, suggesting that the antenatal period should be targeted as an effective time to influence and affect mothers' attitudes and beliefs pertaining to breast-feeding. These results suggest that the 'cultural' barrier towards breast-feeding appears to still prevail in Ireland and consequently an environment that enables women to breast-feed is far from being achieved. Undoubtedly, a shift towards a more positive and accepting breast-feeding culture is required if national breast-feeding rates are to improve.