Oh, this is sad. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is newsworthy. My aim in informing the world of things related to breastfeeding is in the hopes of effecting a positive change, not to bring anybody down.

But still. It’s very tragic.

According to a new report, the push by some groups to encourage HIV+ mothers in Africa to eschew breastfeeding for formula in the effort to reduce HIV transmission to their babies has backfired miserably. According to the report, the risk of a baby dying from being formula-fed in many parts of Africa is much higher than the miniscule risk of acquiring HIV from their mothers’ milk, had they been breastfed. Breastfeeding, even if it’s from an HIV+ mother, provides immunities and protection to the baby that formula cannot replicate. Moreover, improperly prepared formula in unsanitary conditions often leads to diarrhea, a common cause of death in many parts of rural Africa.

Thank you to Jennifer James of The Black Breastfeeding Blog for providing the link.

Unfortunately, it’s taking a long time for mainstream ideologies to catch up with what researchers in South Africa, like Anna Coutsoudis, have suspected for years: that exclusive breastfeeding is better for babies born to HIV+ mothers in rural Africa than formula. Coutsoudis, the South African hero responsible for creating the iThemba Lethu milk bank in 2001, is a professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban and has been involved in pediatric HIV research for over a decade. She has also been a prominent breastfeeding supporter and advocate for baby-friendly hospital policies. Additionally, she has helped to create educational programs to increase awareness of sustainable home pasteurization of breast milk for women who are HIV+, in an effort to increase the waning breastfeeding rate in South Africa.

Ahh, feels good to end on a positive note. It’s a great way to begin World Breastfeeding Week, which starts tomorrow, August 1, and finishes August 7. However, it’s important to note that for many families, every week is Breastfeeding Week.

Edited to add: All of the donations from purchases made in the store for the month of August will go to La Leche League International.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 at 3:37 pm and is filed under Lactation, Formula, Breastfeeding, Milk Banks, Africa, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.