Breastfeeding Reduces a Baby's Risk of HIV, Death, Diarrhea

On March 30, 2007, Doctors in the UN proposed changes in their guidelines about HIV+ women and breastfeeding. New research has demonstrated that nursing actually lowers the baby's risk of HIV infection. Many organizations recommend that HIV+ mothers bottle-feed their infants whenever possible, but these policies may soon change. Moreover, the urge to wait to introduce solids until six months may become stronger.

In Africa, women are more likely to supplement with formula and solids before six months than breastfeed exclusively. Breastfeeding and supplementing with solids raises a baby's risk of HIV infection eleven-fold. Supplementing with formula doubles the risk. This was true for babies of HIV+ mothers in the study, but other information tells us that exclusively breastfeeding -- just for six months -- decreases the risk for all babies.

We've had information about this since 1998, when a report demonstrated that exclusively breastfeeding may decrease the chances of HIV transmission. Another, larger trial in 2005 showed that babies given supplements before six months of age were three times more likely to become infected with HIV. A controlled study was then done by Coovadia and colleagues' where that factor was considered, producing more conclusive results: breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of life can help prevent HIV.read more