Opinion Paper

Maternal and infant health is protected by antiretroviral drug strategies that preserve breastfeeding by HIV-positive women

Louise Kuhn
Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine | Vol 13, No 1 | a151 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhivmed.v13i1.151 | © 2012 Louise Kuhn | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 15 December 2012 | Published: 13 March 2012

About the author(s)

Louise Kuhn, Gertrude H Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons; and Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA, United States

Abstract

The South African Department of Health is justified in withdrawing support for free infant formula. By so doing, it recognises that any intervention that might detract from breast feeding poses a serious threat to infant survival. Since evidence is now strong that antiretroviral drugs used during lactation prevent transmission of infection from a seropositive mother, strategies that promote breastfeeding can now be recommended for enhancing the health of mothers and infants.

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