An Assesment Of Infant Feeding Options Among Hiv Positive Women Attending Comprehensive Care Clinic At Kiambu District Hospital Kenya.

ABSTRACT In Kenya, limited studies have been conducted to investigate infant feeding choices of HIV positive mothers attending Comprehensive Care Clinic. This study therefore determined infant feeding options of HIV positive mothers attending Comprehensive Care Clinic at Kiambu district hospital. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a desired sample size of four hundred (400) HIV positive mothers for a period of 12 weeks. Systematic random sampling was used to select respondents for the study. Data was collected using a structured interview schedule and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and was entered, analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 12.0. Pearson‟s Chi-square test was used to test the significance of association between variables. Multiple Logistic Regression was performed to determine the factors independently associated with inappropriate infant feeding option. At the end of the study a total of 390 respondents were interviewed. The factors associated with inappropriate infant feeding option in the multivariate analysis were HIV disclosure (OR=4.91; CI: =1.2-11.3; p=0.0040), Participation in PMTCT program (OR=4.34; CI: =1.4-11.6; p=0.0051), Stigma (OR=2.46; CI: 1.9-12.2; p=0.0178), Counseling on stigma associated with infant feeding (OR=4.73 CI: 1.1-11.2; p=0.0032). The infant feeding experiences of HIV- positive mothers thus have serious implications for the operational effectiveness of programmes that aim to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child and therefore the findings of this study underscore the need by the ministry of health to come up with strategies to increase uptake of PMTCT services in order to increase rates of HIV disclosure, reduce stigma and acquire accurate information on HIV transmission through breastfeeding. There is also need for the ministry of health to launch educational programmes that aim to increase knowledge and create awareness on HIV transmission from an infected mother to her child as well as investigate adequacy of counseling offered at the comprehensive care clinics.