Abstract:

The World Health Organization has recommended that children of HIV positive mothers be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life unless replacement feeding is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe. The main objective of the study was to identify factors influencing attitudes of secondary health care providers and HIV positive mothers towards exclusive breastfeeding. Focus Group Discussion was used to elicit information from the respondents. Approval to conduct the study at the health facilities was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health, Uyo. A purposive sampling technique was used to select three secondary health facilities (one per senatorial district) out of 34 secondary facilities that conduct focused antenatal care, deliveries and post-natal care services. There were 46 participants comprising of Nurse/Midwives, and Medical Doctors. A total of six FGD sessions were conducted. Five themes emerged from the FGD namely: Awareness of the exclusive breastfeeding concept; health care provider attitude towards EBF by HIV positive mothers; HIV positive mothers’ perception towards HIV and exclusive breastfeeding; factors that can influence HIV positive mothers to breastfeed exclusively; and opinion on who will approve or disapprove HIV positive mother to breastfeed exclusively. The result showed that effective and adequate counselling was identified as a key factor that will influence HIV positive mothers to breastfeed exclusively. Poor knowledge and fear of transmission of the virus to baby were cited by most respondents as factors that will influence health care providers and HIV positive mothers’ attitude towards exclusive breastfeeding. This study recommended the need for more breastfeeding education for health care providers that will take into consideration current policy and guidelines for feeding HIV exposed infants since health care providers are uniquely positioned to educate HIV positive mothers on infant feeding options.

Keywords: Exclusive breastfeeding, HIV-Positive mothers and Health Care Provider.

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