Operational effectiveness of guidelines on complete breast-feeding cessation to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV: results from a prospective observational cohort study at routine prevention of mother-to-child transmission sites, South Africa.
OBJECTIVE
Until 2006, HIV-positive women who chose to exclusively breast-feed were advised to completely stop breast-feeding by 6 months. We investigated operational feasibility and predictors of complete breast-feeding cessation (CBC).


METHODS
A prospective observational cohort study at 3 routine prevention of mother-to-child transmission sites, South Africa.


METHODS
Data on "complete breast-feeding cessation at 24 weeks" and "not breast-feeding (NBF) for 4 days before the last follow-up visit at or before 24 weeks" were gathered during home visits (3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 16, 20, and 24 weeks). The main subgroup of interest for this analysis was women practicing exclusive breast-feeding/predominant breast-feeding at 3 weeks. Univariate analysis, logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier Survival analysis, and Cox regression were performed.


RESULTS
Eighty-eight women (43.6%) reported CBC. "Health staff suggesting formula use: [OR(a) 4.39 (1.76-10.97)] and "infant hospitalization" [OR(a) 3.27 (1.37-7.79)] were the only significant predictors of CBC. The probability of NBF at 5, 7, 9, 12, 16, 20, and 24 weeks was 2.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8% to 3.8%], 4.3% (3.0% to 5.6%), 5.9% (4.4% to 7.4%, 9.8% (7.9% to 11.7%), 16.1 (13.8% to 18.4%), 23.1% (20.5% to 25.7%), and 37.6% (34.6% to 40.6%), respectively. Infant HIV status [hazard ratio 5.5 95% CI 2.4 to 12.5] was the only predictor of infant death. NBF was not protective against 9-month infant HIV or death in univariate and multivariable analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
At programmatic level, CBC by 24 weeks is uncommon, and success seems unrelated to predetermined social, economic, and environmental (acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable, and safe AFASS) criteria. Thus at this level, activities that encourage CBC (amongst women meeting AFASS criteria) need to be identified and tested.
Goga
Ameena E
AE
Health Systems Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa. ameena.goga@mrc.ac.za
Van Wyk
Brian
B
Doherty
Tanya
T
Colvin
Mark
M
Jackson
Debra J
DJ
Chopra
Mickey
M
D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors