Dear Lactneters,
     Hi!  My name is Sara Covington and I am a second semester junior in
the College of Nursing at the University of North Dakota.  I have been a
lactnet member now for nearly a month.  I am amazed of the amount of
information provided by other lactneters and feel lactnet has been a
wonderful learning experience for a student in a professional field.  I
feel lactnet has enhanced my knowledge base, thinking skills, and outlook
on professional practice in so many ways.
     One of the numerous issues discussed on lactnet, AIDS transmission
and breastfeeding, has arose many questions in my mind which has led me
into my own research study.
     Mothers who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus may
pass the infection to her infant during breastfeeding (Scarlatti, 1996).
Studies from "WHO's Maternal Health" suggest that up to one-third of
HIV-infected infants are infected through breastfeeding (Committee on
Pediatric AIDS, 1995).  Importantly, also stated from the Committee on
Pediatric AIDS, is that the number of women with HIV infection in the
reproductive age is increasing rapidly, so the importance of
understanding the potential risk of HIV transmission to infants by human
milk is critical (Committee on Pediatric AIDS, 1995).
     Access to voluntary and confidential HIV counselling
and testing is very important for people of reproductive age so that they
may become informed of their HIV status for the future health and welfare
fo their children (Blank, Mofenson, Willoughby, & Yaffe, 1994).  The
decision made on whether women with HIV decide to breastfeed or not all
depends on the situation which she lives (Committee on Pediatric AIDS,
1995).  For example, if the risk of illness and death to the newborn
exceed that of contracting HIV through breastmilk, then the mother is
instructed "to breastfeed".  However, if children born to women with HIV
can be ensured uninterrupted access to nutritionally adequate breastmilk
substitutes, then they are at less risk of illness and death and so are
instructed "not to be breastfed".
     If anyone has any information or would simply like to respond
regarding their practice, please do so!  I would love to hear from you!
Sincerally,
Sara Covington(a fellow lactnet member)

References:
     Blank, A., Mofenson, L.M., Willoughby, A., & Yaffle, S.J. (1994).
Maternal and Pediatric AIDS in the United States: the current situation
and future research directions. Acta Paediatric Suppl., (Suppl. 400), 106-10.
     Committee on Pediatric AIDS. (1995, November). Human Milk,
Breastfeeding, & Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the
United States. Pediatrics, 96, 977-78.
     Scaarlatti, G. (1996). Paediatric HIV Infection. The Lancet, 348,
863-869.