title: Infant feeding practices before implementing alternatives to prolonged breastfeeding to reduce HIV transmission through breastmilk in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.
abstract: The aim of this study was to describe baseline infant feeding practices in women of unknown HIV status in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, before the implementation of infant feeding interventions aimed at the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV through breastmilk. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in March 2000 among 225 mothers attending community-run health facilities with their own child for either immunization or weighting. All but two children had ever been breastfed, of whom 94 per cent were still being breastfed at 6 months of age. Exclusive breastfeeding was not practiced in this population since all women had given water to their child, starting in median one day after birth. Moreover, 20 per cent of the mothers had introduced infant formula in median three weeks after delivery. This study provides useful information for planning purposes in this urban African population, where exclusive breastfeeding is rare and the use of infant formula relatively common.
authors.affiliation: Unité INSERM 593, Institut de Santé Publique Epidémiologie Développement, Université Victor Segalen, Bordeaux, France. Renaud.Becquet@isped.u-bordeaux2.fr
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Becquet
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Castetbon
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Viho
authors.forename: Didier K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ekouevi
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Béquet
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ehouo
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dabis
authors.forename: Valériane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Leroy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population