|
Ask
the Experts
 One
of HIVAN's goals is to build bridges between the
different sectors of society so as to increase
opportunities for sharing information and imparting
knowledge around HIV/AIDS. As HIVAN is based at
the University of KwaZulu-Natal, our team has access to
a range of expert resources, both within our own
institution and from many others in the public
and private sectors.
In order to spread this knowledge, we will publish,
in every edition of SONDELA, your questions, together
with some form of reply from a recognised professional
practitioner or researcher. In this way, the question
and its answer can be shared with many readers
from different parts of the province who may also
need the information. If your question is confidential,
there is no need for you to provide your personal
details. So, for advice on HIV/AIDS, ask the experts!
In this edition, Professor Anna
Coutsoudis, from the Department of Paediatrics
and Child Health at the University's Nelson R
Mandela School of Medicine, addresses the question
of whether to breastfeed or formula-feed babies
born to HIV-positive mothers:
QUESTION:
I am HIV-positive and pregnant. Even though
I will have access to Nevirapine treatment during
the birth of my baby, I am worried about how
best to feed my baby without passing on the
HI-Virus.
ANSWER:
Studies have shown that the best method of
feeding your baby if you are HIV-positive is
through EXCLUSIVE breastfeeding for the first
six months of the baby's life, especially if
you live in a poor community with little or
no access to clean water.
 If
you use the method of MIXED feeding over a two-year
period (that is, some breastfeeding and some formula
feeding), there is a 15% risk of passing on the
virus to your baby - if you use exclusive breastfeeding
for the first six months, the risk is lowered
to less than 5%.
The advantage of exclusive breastfeeding is that
if your child was born HIV-positive (since even
with Nevirapine treatment, about 12% of babies
are born infected,) it will be healthier on breastmilk,
and will take longer to develop AIDS than will
a baby being fed with formula. This is because
formula feeds do not contain the immune-building
ingredients and antibodies that breastmilk does.
Babies in poor communities are very vulnerable
to diarrhoea and pneumonia, so they need the strengthening
nutrients offered by breastmilk.
Guide for practising
SAFE breastfeeding:
-
 For
the first six months, breastfeed only. This
means the baby must receive nothing other than
breastmilk - not even water, juice or cereals
etc. For the first six months of your baby's
life, breastmilk contains everything s/he needs
and if you feed him/her with other things, you
may damage your baby's stomach and make it easier
for him/her to pick up infections. Then, during
the next two to four weeks, change over to formula
milk and solids, or heat-treated expressed breastmilk
and solids.
- Take good care of your nipples and breasts
while you are breastfeeding. Place raw cabbage
leaves over your breasts to help ease blocked-up
breasts; this will prevent the development of
mastitis, which could increase the risk of HIV
transmission.
- If you have any problems with your breasts,
get medical help as soon as possible. If you
have sores or other breast problems on one side,
express and discard the milk from that breast
and feed only from the unaffected side until
the breast has healed.
- If your baby develops thrush or sores in
his or her mouth, take the baby to the clinic
immediately for medicine to heal the mouth.
- Use condoms to prevent new HIV infection.
If you become re-infected with HIV, this will
increase the amount of the virus in your blood
and in your breastmilk.
Send your question by
post to:
SONDELA
c/o HIVAN (Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking)
University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4041
By e-mail: info@hivan.org.za
By Fax: 031 260 3169
<<Back
|
