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Group 5. HIV and Infant Feeding. Group 5: HIV and infant feeding (1). Education and counseling in a research or well-supported program setting make a difference to exclusive breastfeeding rates.
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Group 5 HIV and Infant Feeding WABA Global Forum 2, 23-27 September 2002, Arusha, Tanzania
Group 5: HIV and infant feeding (1) • Education and counseling in a research or well-supported program setting make a difference to exclusive breastfeeding rates. • EBF compared to mixed feeding makes a considerable difference to the outcome measures of transmission of HIV and infant mortality WABA Global Forum 2, 23-27 September 2002, Arusha, Tanzania
Group 5: HIV and infant feeding (2) • Commercial infant formula or modified cow’s milk preparations currently are not feasible options for low income mothers and babies in the Southern African region (and probably elsewhere in resource poor areas), in terms of financial cost, time expenditure and acceptability. • Expressing and heat-treating breast milk is safe and may be a practical option, in particular during the transition from EBF to not-breastfeeding, and field trials testing acceptability need urgently to be done. WABA Global Forum 2, 23-27 September 2002, Arusha, Tanzania
Group 5: HIV and infant feeding (3) • Breast milk banking is feasible in relatively low resource settings, eg for “AIDS orphans”, and has been used successfully for babies in South America. Acceptability in other settings needs to be assessed. • Maternal health needs should be central to programming. • Mothers who are HIV negative and those of unknown status should be included as full participants in PMTCT programs WABA Global Forum 2, 23-27 September 2002, Arusha, Tanzania
Group 5: HIV and infant feeding (4) • HIV and infant feeding counseling should be client driven and flexible, and requires considerable investment in training, re-training and ongoing support, monitoring and supervision • PMTCT programs without adequate HIV and infant feeding counseling may cause considerable harm • Community mobilization and involvement are essential for supporting HIV+ mothers, to increase EBF rates, to ensure the success of comprehensive PMTCT programs………………. WABA Global Forum 2, 23-27 September 2002, Arusha, Tanzania