Breastfeeding may lower risk of HIV for African babies

smilingfish

Just a tiny fish
Dec 13, 2006
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But of course if u r a healthy mom, breast feeding is the best choice.

Not easy though.

I was not good at producing milk. Had to eat/drink those peanut & pork trotter soup, crucian soup and etc every week. Some of my friends gave up. But I stuck to it. Errrr Now I hate these stuff.
 

hermanntrude

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Jun 23, 2006
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Newfoundland!
Learn now before your wife has the baby: breastfeeding can be really tough!!! It is natural, but natural and easy are two different things. I can't tell you how many moms I've had in tears because they were having trouble with breastfeeding.

Yes i've heard about this. I'm sure we'll work it out.
 

hermanntrude

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jun 23, 2006
7,267
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Newfoundland!
But of course if u r a healthy mom, breast feeding is the best choice.

Not easy though.

I was not good at producing milk. Had to eat/drink those peanut & pork trotter soup, crucian soup and etc every week. Some of my friends gave up. But I stuck to it. Errrr Now I hate these stuff.

peanut and pork trotter soup???
 

tracy

House Member
Nov 10, 2005
3,500
48
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California
2nd, they compared babies fed with solids IN ADDITION to breast milk, and those fed with fomula or animal milk IN ADDITION to breast milk, and those fed with only breaset milk. But they didn't mention those who are fed with non-breast milk at all.

Probably because in Africa, mothers don't have the option to solely formula feed. They just don't have the resources to buy formula.

Here, we obviously don't let HIV + moms breastfeed. We're rich enough to be able to solely formula feed.
 

jjaycee98

Electoral Member
Jan 27, 2006
421
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British Columbia
Women infected with HIV who exclusively breastfeed their babies reduce the risk of transmitting the virus, researchers in South Africa have found.

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Reading this is really confusing! On one hand milk is a body fluid and there is the risk of passing HIV to a child. Are the findings to be translated to mean that with a child born HIV infected to a mother who is HIV infected, and breastfeeds, then the child is less likely to die? Has this actually anything to do with HIV immunity; or just the passing of Immunity and Resistance to other infections that may result in death?
 

hermanntrude

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Jun 23, 2006
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Newfoundland!
seems quite simple to me. Women who have HIV and have a kid can pass it to their kid via breastmilk. If they're given ONLY breastmilk, they're less likely to get it than if they're given BOTH breastmilk AND a substitute. Assuming there are no other options, pure breastmilk is the best option to avoid giving HIV to your kid. Here in the west, your best option is likely to give just formula, or get a wetnurse (or modern alternative).