Breastfeeding Reduces a Baby's Risk of HIV, Death, Diarrhea

On March 30, 2007, Doctors in the UN proposed changes in their guidelines about HIV+ women and breastfeeding. New research has demonstrated that nursing actually lowers the baby's risk of HIV infection. Many organizations recommend that HIV+ mothers bottle-feed their infants whenever possible, but these policies may soon change. Moreover, the urge to wait to introduce solids until six months may become stronger.

In Africa, women are more likely to supplement with formula and solids before six months than breastfeed exclusively. Breastfeeding and supplementing with solids raises a baby's risk of HIV infection eleven-fold. Supplementing with formula doubles the risk. This was true for babies of HIV+ mothers in the study, but other information tells us that exclusively breastfeeding -- just for six months -- decreases the risk for all babies.

Breastfeeding, and avoiding potentially contaminated nourishment, provides significant immunity against HIV. According to the Lancet, which published the data, nursing "ordinarily protects the integrity of the intestinal mucosa, which thereby presents a more effective barrier to HIV." This benefit of breastfeeding is also what protects breastfed babies from allergies and various other medical problems.

The study also included mothers who aren't infected. Half as many exclusively-breastfed babies died before 3 months of age as did babies receiving supplementation. Calculations suggest that this practice could decrease the number of deaths in young children by 13-15%. Not only does nursing exclusively decrease risk of HIV infection, even areas where AIDS is so prevalent, but it decreases the risk of death. Breastfeeding has long been known to strengthen and fortify the immune system, so this news is not too shocking to nursing advocates.