babygooroo » HIV/AIDS

Should HIV-positive Mothers Breastfeed?

November 29, 2007 by Heidi Green | No questions or comments

I remember when HIV first hit the media more than two decades ago. The sense was that people afflicted with HIV would not survive for very long. The intervening years have proven that not to be the case (Hello, Magic Johnson!). According to ... (read more)

The Circumcision Decision

November 12, 2007 by Amy Spangler | 1 question or comment

To cut or not to cut…that is the question. Australian researcher Brian Morris in a recent article published in Bioessays, attempts to make a strong case for circumcision. Morris claims that circumcision can be a surgical “vaccine” against a wide ... (read more)

Prevention of HIV Transmission Through Breastfeeding

October 18, 2007 by Amy Spangler | No questions or comments

The first case of AIDS was reported 25 years ago. Today, nearly 40 million people are living with HIV—half of them women. It is estimated that breastfeeding accounts for up to half of all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections ... (read more)

Human Milk Fatty Acids Decrease MTCT of HIV through Breastfeeding

September 26, 2007 by Rebecca Black | No questions or comments

Fatty acids have been shown to be immune-modulating and virucidal. They not only enhance the immune system but they participate directly in the immune system with activity that kills viruses. The two essential fatty acids, linoleic and alpha-linlenic and their long-chain polyunsaturated fatty ... (read more)

Gates Foundation to Fund Research on Pediatric AIDS and Breastfeeding

May 29, 2007 by Amy Spangler | No questions or comments

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation has received a five-year, $9.7-million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop and test candidate vaccines to prevent HIV infection in children. The HIV vaccine program ... (read more)

Consider the Risks of Wet-nursing / Cross-nursing

May 5, 2007 by Amy Spangler | 1 question or comment

According to a recent report in Time Magazine, wet-nursing (hiring a woman to breastfeed your baby) and cross-nursing (mothers breastfeeding one another's babies) is making a comeback. Robert Feinstock, owner of Certified Household Staffing, a Los Angeles-based ... (read more)

Exclusive Breastfeeding Prevents Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

April 3, 2007 by Amy Spangler | 3 questions or comments

According to data published in March 31, 2007, issue of The Lancet, exclusive breastfeeding of infants from birth to 6 months of age can significantly reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmssion of HIV. Researchers at the Africa Centre for Health and ... (read more)