AEGiS-15IAC: HIV and Infant feeding counselling: Knowledge, attitude and practice of health workers in Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, Nigeria.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

HIV and Infant feeding counselling: Knowledge, attitude and practice of health workers in Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, Nigeria.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. MoOrE1068)

Adejuyigbe EA, Odebiyi AI
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Mother to child transmission (MTCT) is responsible for about 90% of Paediatric HIV infection in Nigeria. Postnatal transmission through breastfeeding is said to be responsible for about a third of MTCT. Prevention of MTCT (PMTCT) through breastfeeding will therefore help reduce the growing number of children infected by the virus. In view of this WHO/UNAIDS reviewed the Infant Feeding Policy, which was adopted by the Nigerian government in 2001. This study was carried out to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of health workers on appropriate infant feeding in the context of HIV in Wesley Guild Hospital (WGH), Ilesa, Nigeria.

METHOD: Data collection was by in-depth interview and observation of clinic sessions over a period of four-weeks (May 2003). Respondents included trained midwives, consultants and resident doctors in Paediatrics and Obstetrics.

RESULTS: Only one of the 37respondents was aware of the existence of a National Policy on HIV and Infant feeding, and none had been trained in HIV and infant feeding counseling. Though most of the health workers were aware of MTCT, majority of the midwives believed all infants of HIV positive mothers would be infected by the virus if breastfed, while all the obstetricians believed that exclusive breastfeeding rather than mixed feeding, was more likely to increase the chances of MTCT. Use of commercial infant formula and wet nursing were the only feeding options most of the health workers were familiar with. In practice, majority of the respondents directed infected mothers to use commercial infant formula regardless of their socioeconomic status. Conclusion It is concluded that most of the health workers did not have adequate knowledge to provide appropriate feeding counseling for HIV infected mothers. As part of the efforts of PMTCT in Nigeria, there is need for urgent dissemination of all policies relating to PMTCT and training of relevant health workers in HIV related issues.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Counseling, HIV Infections, Breast Feeding, Health, Knowledge, Bottle Feeding, Attitude, Mothers, Infant Nutrition, Virus Diseases, Infant Food, Nigeria, Infant, Humans, Child, therapy, organization & administration, methods

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MoOrE1068