Determinants Of Feeding Knowledge And Practices Among Infants Born Of Hiv Positive Female Sex Worker Mothers Sex Worker Outreach Programme Clinic

ABSTRACT

Feeding of infants is determined by many things which including the nature of work done by the mother. Sex worker outreach Programme (SWOP) is a clinic that caters for medical needs of the women selling sex in Kenya. The legal standing of sex work in Kenya means that sex workers are often marginalized and unable to make a meaningful income from the same. Consequently, they often have little resources available to them as savings. This means they often engage in sex work when pregnant and have to resume sex work soon after delivery. The urgency to resume income generation means that they are not able to employ exclusive breast feeding to their infants. Because of low income, they are unable to afford refrigeration and thus may have challenges storing expressed breast milk. The purpose of this study, which was done in SWOP clinic, was to understand the feeding knowledge, attitude and practices employed by female sex workers to their infants. The study concentrated on HIV positive female sex workers who face additional challenges in feeding their infants as PMTCT guidelines recommend either exclusive breast feeding or complimentary feeding practices. We have scarce information concerning the dangers that come with early weaning and the use of alternative feeding formula among HIV positive sex worker infants. Thus, this study aimed to understand the knowledge and practices employed by HIV positive FSW in feeding their infants. A good number of the mothers in the study were single and a few marred ones. Slightly more than half of them had primary level education compared to a quarter that had more than secondary education. The working hours were mostly both day and night giving them a very limited time to attend to their infants, a good number had enough/good knowledge on infant feeding as well as positive attitudes towards the same. There was no association between the feeding practices and the recommendation in the national guidelines. It is hoped this study will help the government develop a policy to support HIV positive sex worker mothers by educating them on the importance of EBF to avoid mother to child transmission. Health education needs to be all across the family members, them to give support to these mothers, no importance is there in educating mothers of infants only, we need to establish a movement that helps and educate every single family member and the society at large, for the reason to make breastfeeding a natural to feed a baby again. a baby. A longitudinal study is recommended to be used to conduct the study to track infant and young child feeding practices throughout the period from birth to 24 months of age. This is to effectively link feeding practices and individual growth patterns. Further research should be conducted to establish the association between the nutrition status of mothers living with HIV and the nutrition status of their infants.