Breastfeeding and maternal HIV-1 disease progression and mortality

Sedgh, G.; Spiegelman, D.; Larsen, U.; Msamanga, G.; Fawzi, W.W.

Aids 18(7): 1043-1049

2004


ISSN/ISBN: 0269-9370
PMID: 15096808
DOI: 10.1097/00002030-200404300-00013
Document Number: 233399
Objective: To examine the association between breastfeeding and disease progression among HIV-infected women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Design and methods: Cohort study design with Cox proportional hazards models. Results: The relative risk of death comparing women who recently had been breastfeeding to those who were not breastfeeding was 0.47 (95% confidence interval, 0.18-1.20). Neither breastfeeding status nor the duration of exclusive or partial breastfeeding was associated with HIV-1 disease progression, represented by death or development of a low CD4 cell count, anemia or excessive weight loss, in multivariate analyses. These associations remained insignificant when women with relatively low and high CD4 cell counts were analysed separately. Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to support the hypothesis that breastfeeding is detrimental to the health of HIV-infected women.

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