Childhood

At the 1990 World Summit for Children, it was stated that more than a million infant deaths could have been avoided if infants had been exclusively breastfed for six months (UNICEF, 1995). Three of the four most important threats to survival of children in South Africa are diarrhoeal disease, acute respiratory infection, and malnutrition (UNICEF, 1993). Failure to breastfeed has been linked to all these health problems.

After years of stalling and much criticism from the HIV/AIDS sector, the Policy Committee of the National Health Council on Friday finally adopted new guidelines for the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT).

The Good Start Study was a prospective cohort study of 665 HIV positive women who attended routine PMTCT services. The women and infants were followed for 36 weeks after birth with data collection during home visits every 2 weeks until 12 weeks and then monthly until 9 months. At each scheduled visit infant feeding practices were recorded through 24 hour and previous 3 day recall. The study was undertaken in three sites Paarl (Western Cape), Umzimkulu (Eastern Cape) and Umlazi (KwaZulu-Natal). Sites were selected to highlight differences in socio-economic regions, health infra-structure, rural-urban locations, and HIV prevalence.

The Good Start Study was a prospective cohort study of 665 HIV positive women who attended routine PMTCT services. The women and infants were followed for 36 weeks after birth with data collection during home visits every 2 weeks until 12 weeks and then monthly until 9 months. At each scheduled visit infant feeding practices were recorded through 24 hour and previous 3 day recall. The study was undertaken in three sites Paarl (Western Cape), Umzimkulu (Eastern Cape) and Umlazi (KwaZulu-Natal). Sites were selected to highlight differences in socio-economic regions, health infra-structure, rural-urban locations, and HIV prevalence.

[LOS ANGELES] The benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks of virus transmission from HIV-positive mothers to their children, according to studies conducted in four African nations.

Avoiding transmission of HIV from mother to child after birth has become one of the greatest challenges in HIV prevention. Approaches to date to reduce or prevent postnatal transmission through breastfeeding have included the avoidance of all breastfeeding through the use of exclusive replacement feeds, or exclusive breastfeeding for a limited duration with early and rapid cessation of breastfeeding as soon as it is feasible.

Although experts say that breastfeeding gives children the best start in life, protecting them from life-threatening diseases and providing essential nutrients, barely a third of all infants in developing countries are exclusively breastfed for the first six months.

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.