Abstract

Suuk Alexander Laar* and Veloshnee Govender

The study assessed the perspectives of HIV-positive mothers and family members (grand-mothers and fathers) of the infant feeding options recommended for HIV-infected mothers in Ghana. This entailed individual interviews with 40 HIV-positive mothers with infants aged 0 to 12 months and 6 focus group discussions with HIV-positive mothers, fathers and grandmothers of unknown status in two urban districts. All infants born to HIV-positive mothers in both districts had been breastfed. Breastfeeding was initiated between three hours and three days following birth. While some of the infants had been exclusively breastfed, none had been exclusively formula fed. Early mixed feeding patterns were deeply entrenched. Barriers to exclusive replacement feeding by HIV-positive mothers included cultural and familial influences, socioeconomic factors including cost of infant formula, lack of access to fridges, clean water and fuel. Interventions designed to promote safer infant feeding among HIV-infected mothers in these settings need to be mindful of these barriers (socio-economic, cultural and familial) that these women face. Failure by policy makers to incorporate these issues will continue to lead to a gap between well-intended policies and programmes, and actual practices of HIV-positive mothers.