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Aim: We sought to study the survival of newborn children according to HIV status of the mother, that of the child and the timing of infection. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of 883 mothers (665 HIV-positive and 218 HIV-negative) and their infants. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires during home visits between the antenatal period and 36 weeks post-delivery. Infant HIV status was determined at 3, 24 and 36 weeks by HIV DNA PCR. Results: The majority (81.3%) of infected infants who died were infected by 3 weeks of age. Of the HIV-exposed infants who died, 19 (28.4%) died before 6 weeks and 38 (56.7%) died by 12 weeks. The hazard ratio (HR) of mortality at 36 weeks of age in HIV-infected infants compared with exposed but negative infants was 8.9 (95% CI: 6.7-11.8). There was no significant difference in 36 week survival rates between HIV-non-exposed and HIV-exposed but negative infants (HR: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.3-1.5). The infant being HIV-positive at age 3 weeks (HR: 32 95% CI: 14.0-73.1) and rural site (HR: 4.4 95% CI: 1.2-23.4) were the two independent risk factors for infant death amongst HIV-exposed infants. Conclusion: The prognosis for infants with early HIV infection was very poor in this cohort. A greater focus on prevention of early infection, earlier screening for HIV infection and access to antiretrovirals for eligible infants is recommended.

This study examined the challenges that HIV-positive women face at different stages of early infant feeding using a longitudinal, qualitative design. The study explored factors influencing infant-feeding decision-making and behavior of HIV positive mothers and identified characteristics of women and their environments that contributed to success in maintaining exclusivity of their infant feeding practices. The study was undertaken at 3 sites in South Africa. Participants consisted of a purposive sample of 27 women who had a positive HIV test result during antenatal care and were intending to either exclusively breast-feed or exclusively formula-feed their infants. Women were interviewed once antenatally and at 1, 4, 6, and 12 wk postpartum. Just under one-half of the women who initiated breast-feeding maintained exclusivity and over two-thirds of the women who initiated formula-feeding maintained exclusivity. Key characteristics of women who achieved success in exclusivity included the ability to resist pressure from the family to introduce other fluids and to recall key messages on mother-to-child transmission risks and mixed feeding. Among women who maintained exclusive breast-feeding, a strong belief in the benefits of breast-feeding and a supportive home environment was important. For women using formula milk, having resources such as electricity, a kettle, and flask made feeding at night easier. Support for infant feeding that extends beyond the antenatal period is important to enable mothers to cope with new challenges and pressures at critical times during the early postpartum period.