[TuPeF5419] Provision of formula baby milk to infants born to women infected with HIV (Dida Program)

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain — July 7-12, 2002

[TITLE:] Provision of formula baby milk to infants born to women infected with HIV (Dida Program)

[AUTHOR(S):] J.L. Martínez-Alonso, A. Gimenez¹, J. Colom²

Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12;14:Abstract No. TuPeF5419

ISSUES: Breastfeeding is a route of transmission of HIV from an infected woman to her child. For this reason, since May 1999, and in order to provide social and economic help to the families involved, the Department of Health and Social Security of Catalonia has supplied free samples of 'artificial' milk for seropositive women with infants during the first year of life.

DESCRIPTION: 23 hospitals have participated in this program, where a clinical follow-up of most of the infants born to seropositive women is carried out. During the control visit, the paediatrician offers the infant's family the milk required, adapted to the age of the infant, until the following visit. The milk is provided free at hospitals by the dairy firms: initially by Granja Castello S.A., and for the past 6 months, by Novartis Consumer Health S.A. Up to December 2001, 417 infants have benefited from this program, 60% of whom were visited in 5 hospitals in the Metropolitan area of Barcelona. Around 160 new infants join the program every year. Until June 2001, 72707 l of milk in liquid form in 500cc tetra-brik cartons have been provided, and since then 2572.8 kg of infant formula (in 800 g containers). The product was provided free; neither the families nor the Catalan health care system were obliged to pay.

LESSONS LEARNED: A good method to avoid the HIV transmission via human milk is to supply free samples of milk to the families involved. In Catalonia, and thanks to the collaboration of 2 dairy firms and the enthusiastic participation of the health centre professionals the 'Programa Dida' has worked with the aim of prevention and as an economic help for the families involved.

Recommendations

: It is important to promote programs and actions to provide artificial infant feeding for the children of seropositive women.

Presenting author: Jose Luis Martinez-Alonso

1Programa per a la Prevenció i l'Assistencia de la Sida. Departament de Sanitat i, Programa per a la Prevenció i l'Assistencia de la Sida., Departament de Sanitat i Seguretat Social., Tarv. de les Corts, 131-159 Pav. Ave Maria, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.

2Direcció General de Drogodependències i Sida. Departament de Sanitat i Seguretat Social., Barcelona, Spain.

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