Faculty of Public Health, Population and Family Health Department

Abstract

Background: infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices are sets of recommendations for appropriate feeding of children under two years of age which is more challenging in the context of HIV due to vertical transmission of the virus from mother to child. There is a limited evidence about IYCF in HIV context in the study area. This study was hence designed to assess the entire spectrum of IYCF practices among women living with HIV/AIDS. Objective: To assess infant and young child feeding practices and associated factors among HIV positive mothers with children age 6-24 months in Gondar town. Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 15 to April 30,2018 on 287 randomly selected HIV positive mothers having a child age 6-24 months. A pre-tested structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The outcome variable (infant and young child feeding practice) was measured based on core indicators of WHO guideline. Data were entered into Epidata and exported to SPSS for analysis. Bi-variable &multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to identify independent predictors of infant and young child feeding practices. p-value<0.05was used to declare statistical significance. Result: A total of 287 mother–child pairs were included in the study with a response rate of 95.7%. More than two-third (67%) of children were breastfeeding within 1 hr. after birth. Two-hundred twenty-two (79.8%), 19(6.6%) and 39(13.6%) of HIV positive mother practiced exclusive breastfeeding, exclusive replacement feeding and mixed feeding respectively. About two third (62.7%) of HIV exposed children age 6-24 months were fed complementary foods inappropriately. knowledge [AOR=0.32, 95%CI (0.17-0.58)], maternal workload [AOR=0.38,95%CI (0.19-0.75)], and information about child feeding [AOR=0.46, 95%CI (0.26-0.81)] were independent predictors of complementary feeding practices at p-value<0.05 Conclusion and recommendation: Appropriate complementary feeding was lower than WHO recommendation for good practice of IYCF, good knowledge, information on child feeding and less maternal workload were encouraging appropriate complementary feeding practices. So, health care providers, community health workers and other non-governmental organizations should focus on counselling mothers on appropriate child feeding practices and researchers should identify potential determinants of inappropriate IYCFPs of HIV positive mothers.