A critical inquiry of challenges in safe infant feeding by mothers with HIV

Abstract

The World Health Organization as well as the South African National Department of Health, recommended that mothers known to be HIV infected (whether on lifelong Antiretroviral Therapy or not) should exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months of their lives. Despite the recommendation HIV positive mothers are faced with challenges in safe infant feeding. The purpose of the study was to critically investigate the challenges in safe infant feeding by mothers with HIV in one district in Mpumalanga. A qualitative approach with explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used. The sample size of this study depended on data saturation, which was reached after twelve individual mothers with HIV were interviewed. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted using an interview guide. Data collected during this study was analysed by using the open coding method. The researcher and co-coder analysed the data independently, and then met and discussed their findings in order to reach consensus on the themes and sub-themes that emerged from the data. The following themes, exclusive breastfeeding; exclusive formula feeding and mixed feeding were identified in safe infant feeding by mothers with HIV. From these findings it seems that although the Tshwane declaration of support for breastfeeding in SouthAfrica and the South African National Department of Health recommended exclusive breastfeeding, more support, strategies and research are needed to strengthen and promote exclusive breastfeeding effectively. From the findings, literature and the conclusion of this study, recommendations in the field of nursing practice, nursing education and nursing research were made.