Should a HIV Positive Mother Breastfeed Her Baby?

I. (Attention-getting statement): Imagine for a moment that you are a new parent. Wouldn’t you do anything to protect your child? What if you could help protect them from necrotizing enterocolitis, respiratory infections, asthma, obesity, Type 1 and 2 diabetes, childhood leukemia, atopic dermatitis, SIDS, or even make them smarter! Would you do it? I know I would, and I did, all with the help of my lactation consultant who guided me through the process and experience of breastfeeding.

The audience intended for this paper are mothers that have a desire to breastfeed, employers, clinicians, breastfeeding advocacy groups and federal and state legislators involved in policy change.

AHRQ. (2009). Breastfeeding, Maternal & Infant Health Outcomes. Retrieved January 22, 2015, from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: http://archive.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/brfouttp.htm

main reason some mothers chose to breastfeed was so that they could feel “a sense of bonding or

Breastfeeding is one of the best methods for providing infants with a healthy start to life. Breast milk helps the body fight off various bacteria and viruses that one’s child might be at risk for catching. Breastfed babies are thirty-six percent less likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome and are fifty-five percent likely to become obese later in life, compared to babies who are not breastfeed. (Workplace and Public Accommodations for Nursing Mothers, 2016) Not only is the child benefiting from breastfeeding, the mother is as well. Women who breastfeed are more likely to revert to their

A lot of mothers are not being told how wonderful breastfeeding is for their health. Whether out of inexperience or due to the impact of the artificial baby milk industry, many health care providers fail to let mothers know of the facts. As other new mothers find out about these facts, more mothers will not merely choose to breastfeed for a short period of time to provide early disease control for their baby, but will continue to breastfeed, providing the best results both for their child and for

health throughout life” (Klag, McNamara, Geraghty, & Keim, 2015, p. 1059) Although the process has been known to bring some complications and many attempts, the end result has been proven to be beneficial to not only the infant during that time but can be tracked in their life down the line. The decision to breast feed is a decision that will not only impact the child, but can also

In this article, “The Ideal and the Real of Breast-Feeding” by Jane E. Brody, Brody brings some good points to light. The campaign to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months in today’s society is becoming increasingly prevalent by health care providers, lactation consultants, and other organizations. Brody’s notable outlook on breastfeeding stems from her own personal experiences with her twin boys. The ever increasing numbers of reasons one should breastfeed and how important it is for the health of the child to continue to grow. As the textbook, “How Children Develop” by Robert Siegler, shows it is a natural life source. Mammals use breast milk as a source of nutrition for their young. Humans have become more reliant on formula feeding.

The subject in this paper is a mother of two who did not breastfeed her first child.

Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the complete form of nutrition for infants with a range of benefits for infants’ health, growth, immunity and development (Breastfeeding- Natural Is Best). All these factors can decrease Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS) and mortality. In serval meta-analyses babies that are breastfeed have a 36% decrease in the risk of SIDS. According to The Lives Saved Tool, an estimated 823,000 yearly deaths would be saved if breastfeeding was scaled up to universal levels. Disorders like necrotizing enterocolitis, that has a high case-fatality, showed a 58% decrease with breastfeeding (Victoria, Cesar G, et all.).

Nutritionally, breastfeeding provides specific antibodies which help to prevent infant and childhood diseases. Diseases such as RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection) and Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus are serious diseases in infants which can lead to death (Riordan 1997). Breastfeeding is a natural immunization for infants and mothers, decreasing risks such as pneumonia, SIDS, and childhood obesity in infants. Mothers decrease their risk for breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and weight gain (Stuebe 2009). Just as diseases can be immune from breast milk, breastmilk also aids in brain development. In “Breastfeeding benefits babies’ brains”, Stacey states, “babies who had

“Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers” Statement taken from the world health organization publication on the nutrition of exclusive breastfeeding.

For thousands of years, breastfeeding has been the main source that women have had to feed their babies. In today’s society, however, breastfeeding has become a controversial issue due to the increased sexualization of the female body, especially women’s breasts. This same society has failed to consider the benefits that breastfeeding mothers offer to society and, most importantly, the benefits breastfeeding offers to children. It is important to consider and remember that breastfeeding is natural and nursing mothers should be free to nurse everywhere because it is their legal right, it is the first source of nutrition for their children, it eliminates excess waste in the environment, and it benefits society.

In December 1997 the American Academy of Pediatrics issued its most aggressive statement to due urging mothers to breastfeed for at least a year and beyond “for as long as mutually desired.” Mother’s milk alone provides all the nutrients necessary for a baby’s physical and mental development for at least at least six months, with the added benefit of natural immunity against numerous diseases. In Milk, Money and Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding, Naomi Baumslag, MD, MPD, asserts that “breastfed babies also have lower incidence of allergies, urinary tract infections, obesity, learning, behavioral and psychological problems, later-life heart disease, pneumonia, neonatal sepis, and giardia

We explored the bond created between mother and child, the health benefits for babies, and the many ways in which a mother benefits from breastfeeding.