Today the report continued and talked about using Vitamin A doses at birth
for the mother and baby to cut down risk of transmission of HIV through the
breastmilk. It focused a lot on the issue of whether a study with placebo
for some mothers and Vit. A for others was ethical in a country where women
didn't know what a placebo was and often thought they were all getting the
vitamin.  One statement that did bother me (and I think this was said both
days) was that formula was not an option for these women because of the
expense of it.  That implied that it would be the answer if they had more
money.  It just reminded me of an African-American friend who said that her
mother breastfed all eleven of her kids, but that when she grew  up and had
the money to buy formula that's what she did.  I hope that the idea of
formula becoming a status symbol because of its cost isn't becoming
prevalent in third world countries.  Seems like somewhere else I heard that
there was still pressure to breastfeed because if you gave the baby formula
people were suspicious that it meant you had HIV.  Anyone know about this?