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Infant feeding support strategy reduces growth faltering in late infancy among infants of HIV‐infected mothers in urban Haiti
Author(s) -
Heidkamp Rebecca A,
Stoltzfus Rebecca J,
Fitzgerald Daniel,
Pape Jean W
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.334.6
Subject(s) - medicine , breastfeeding , wasting , micronutrient , pediatrics , context (archaeology) , anemia , malnutrition , environmental health , developing country , intervention (counseling) , cohort , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , demography , family medicine , nursing , sociology , paleontology , pathology , economic growth , economics , biology , endocrinology
There is growing consensus about strategies to reduce mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV through breastmilk during early infancy (0–5 mo) in low‐income countries, but less research on feeding in late infancy (6–12 mo) when risk of growth faltering is high. We evaluated a program strategy to support infant nutrition at GHESKIO, a clinic serving poor HIV‐infected mothers in Port‐au‐Prince, Haiti. In 2008–09, 82 six‐mo‐old non‐breastfed HIV‐exposed infants were enrolled in a 6‐month intervention that included a daily ration of micronutrient‐fortified ready‐to‐use supplementary food, monthly “mothers club” sessions for infant feeding education, and monthly individualized growth monitoring/counseling. Data was collected on growth, anemia, dietary intake, morbidity, compliance, caregiver knowledge, satisfaction and program feasibility. Outcomes in participants were compared to infants seen at GHESKIO in the previous year (n=174). At age 6 months, stunting (LAZ<−2 WHO 2006) prevalence was slightly higher in intervention group than in controls (NS). Among 12‐mo‐olds, stunting was 9.6% in the intervention cohort vs. 20.8% in controls (p<.05) and wasting (WLZ<−2) 2.7% vs. 8.7% in controls (p=.074). The program was highly acceptable to mothers and feasible to implement in the clinical context. Research support was provided by Cornell's Einaudi Center, Weill Cornell Center for Global Health, and PEFPAR. Grant Funding Source : NIH