Fertility implications of reduced breast-feeding by HIV/AIDS-infected mothers in developing countries.
ja-99-05
Author(s): Stecklov G
Year: 1999
AJPH 1999. 89(5):780-781.
The article comments on the announcement by the United Nations that mothers infected with HIV/AIDS should not breast-feed their children. The announcement is a major reversal in health policy indicating that breast feeding increases the risk of vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS by about 14% above and beyond the roughly 15% risk associated with transmission before birth. It details the role of breastfeeding in reducing infant susceptibility to illnesses such as diarrhea and infectious diseases and its role in lowering fertility by delaying the return of menses and lengthening the time interval between births.
