>With the research that is available to date it does suggest that getting
HIV from breastfeeding isn't really all that easy, and surely would be even
less risk from a 'once-off' feeding.  I guess what you may be saying is any
risk is too big a risk in this circumstance... yes?<

I'll just jump in here (probably while Pamela sleeps in Zimbabwe?) to say that
the relative risk of transmission of HIV to a baby via breastfeeding is a topic
of pretty hot contention at the moment, with some wildly different figures
quoted -- and remember these figures are from different settings, so that may be
part of reason for that.

However, the risk of transmission is higher if a woman is newly HIV+ herself
(and so may not realise it) or very ill with AIDS.

Also, the first study to look at *exclusive* breastfeeding showed lower rates of
transmission than with mixed feeding -- that is defined as the baby having had
any water, juices, teas, formula, prelacteal feeds or solids.  The baby in
question may come into this catagory.

Also, and I hasten to add that this is unresearched speculation, remember that
women produce their own specific antibodies.  If a mother is HIV+ it is not too
far-fetched to wonder if her milk might have 'compensatory qualities'.  Would
these also be present in the milk of an HIV- woman????

Other factors which increase the risk of transmission seem to include mastitis.
What if the 'donor' mother fed the baby because she was feeling uncomfortably
full, due to incipient masititis .... you get the picture.

And -- who knows -- maybe babies who are HIV+ can infect women who suckle them.
We don't know.

Anyway, I think the official US position is not to breastfeed if you are HIV+ --
the same in the UK.  I feel very ambivilent about this advice myself, but add in
the factor of another woman breastfeeding your baby and the emotional mix is
pretty wild.

Any more ideas, Pamela?

Magda Sachs
Breastfeeding Supporter, BfN, UK

             ***********************************************
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