Just to weigh from a lay or non-medically trained point of view -- I have to
agree with Nikki -- for the HIV+ mother, bottlefeeding does seem to present
a "benefit" for her baby.  If, heaven forbid, I were HIV+, I would choose
the risks of formula over breastfeeding and would feel I was doing the best
I could by my child.  If convinced that heating the breastmilk would
absolutely eliminate the risk of HIV transmission, I would choose to do that
and bottlefeed the baby treated breastmilk.

I simply would not take the chance, however small it may be, of increasing
my child's chances of becoming HIV when there is an alternative.  HIV, as I
understand it and as treatment options stand today, will ultimately kill a
child.

If nothing else, I think we should recognize that there is no definitive
answer that says breastfeeding will not transmit HIV to an infant.  Until
that time, I will concede that formula or treated breastmilk, if it is truly
safe, fed by bottle is a huge benefit to the baby of an HIV+ mother.  Either
way, I think the original question was when is bottlefeeding of benefit to
the baby; the child of the HIV+ mother would be well served by being
bottlefed in that instance.

Rhonda Feder
Elkins Park, PA
lawyer & lay counselor

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html