Breastfeeding with maternal antiretroviral therapy or formula feeding to prevent HIV postnatal mother-to-child transmission in Rwanda

AIDS. 2009 Nov 27;23(18):2415-23. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0b013e32832ec20d.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the 9-month HIV-free survival of children with two strategies to prevent HIV mother-to-child transmission.

Design: Nonrandomized interventional cohort study.

Setting: Four public health centres in Rwanda.

Participants: Between May 2005 and January 2007, all consenting HIV-infected pregnant women were included.

Intervention: Women could choose the mode of feeding for their infant: breastfeeding with maternal HAART for 6 months or formula feeding. All received HAART from 28 weeks of gestation. Nine-month cumulative probabilities of HIV transmission and HIV-free survival were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Determinants were analysed using a Cox model analysis.

Results: Of the 532 first-liveborn infants, 227 (43%) were breastfeeding and 305 (57%) were formula feeding. Overall, seven (1.3%) children were HIV-infected of whom six were infected in utero. Only one child in the breastfeeding group became infected between months 3 and 7, corresponding to a 9-month cumulative risk of postnatal infection of 0.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1-3.4%; P = 0.24] with breastfeeding. Nine-month cumulative mortality was 3.3% (95% CI 1.6-6.9%) in the breastfeeding arm group and 5.7% (95% CI 3.6-9.2%) for the formula feeding group (P = 0.20). HIV-free survival by 9 months was 95% (95% CI 91-97%) in the breastfeeding group and 94% (95% CI 91-96%) for the formula feeding group (P = 0.66), with no significant difference in the adjusted analysis (adjusted hazard ratio for breastfeeding: 1.2 (95% CI 0.5-2.9%).

Conclusion: : Maternal HAART while breastfeeding could be a promising alternative strategy in resource-limited countries.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / methods*
  • Breast Feeding*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology
  • HIV Infections / transmission*
  • HIV-1*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant Formula / administration & dosage*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / prevention & control*
  • Post-Exposure Prophylaxis / methods
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / drug therapy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / epidemiology
  • Rwanda / epidemiology
  • Survival Analysis