TY - JOUR AU - Cajetan Ifeanyi, Casmir Ifeanyichukwu AU - Aribike, Janet AU - Ikeneche, Nkiruka Florence AU - Ukwueze, Lovina Nkechi AU - Iroegbu, Gladys Adaku PY - 2022/03/22 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Assessment of Exclusive Breast-Feeding Practice among HIV-Positive Mothers in Abuja Nigeria JF - European Journal of Clinical Medicine JA - CLINICMED VL - 3 IS - 2 SE - Articles DO - 10.24018/clinicmed.2022.3.2.179 UR - https://ej-clinicmed.org/index.php/clinicmed/article/view/179 SP - 13-19 AB - <p><em>Background</em>: Empirically, exclusive breastfeeding has proved invaluable in the reduction of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and infant mortality particularly of children under-five years. Regrettably, breastfeeding practice is not widespread in most resource-poor sub-Saharan countries in Africa including Nigeria.</p><p><em>Objective</em>: This study assessed the practice of exclusive breastfeeding of infants for the first-six months of life by HIV-positive mothers after receiving care for prevention of mother-to-child transmission.</p><p><em>Methods</em>: Between February 2019 and September 2021, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 388 HIV-positive mothers receiving care for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV at the Gwarinpa General Hospital in Abuja Municipal Area Council. HIV-positive mothers were enrolled and assessed for their practice of exclusive breastfeeding for the first-six months of the infant life. Structured questionnaires were used to survey for their socio-demographics, reproductive history, HIV and exclusive breastfeeding characteristics. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version SPSS 24.</p><p><em>Results</em>: Overall, 68% of the HIV-positive mothers practiced exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Majority, 83% of the HIV-positive mothers had knowledge of the nutritional benefits of breast milk in the first-six months of infant’s life. In addition, 75% of them are aware that babies exclusively breastfed are healthier than those not so breastfed. Religious beliefs and education status positively influenced exclusive breastfeeding in 82% and 55% of the mothers respectively. However, 69% of HIV-positive mothers attest they had no communal norms and taboos against exclusive breastfeeding. In contrast, mothers’ occupation negatively influenced exclusive breastfeeding in 36% of the studied subjects.</p><p><em>Conclusion</em>: This study found a significant increase in the rate of exclusive breastfeeding by HIV-positive mothers. It is evident that the practice of exclusive breastfeeding by HIV-positive mothers is dependent on their level of knowledge and awareness of its benefits in the first-six months of infant’s life.</p> ER -