INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN FEEDING PRACTICE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG HIV POSITIVE MOTHERS OF CHILDREN 0-23 MONTHS ON ANTI-RETRO VIRAL THERAPY MONTHLY FOLLOW UP IN PUBLIC HEALTH CENTERS OF GULELE SUB-CITY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

Background Infants feeding practice in the context of communities living with HIV still remained lacking consideration as expected to be for the last decades. In addition to that, there is paucity of information on the magnitude of feeding practice and associated factors of HIV exposed infants and young children in low income countries like Ethiopia including the study area due to limited efforts spent concerning this issue. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude of feeding practice and associated factors of HIV exposed infants and young children aged 0-23 months among HIV positive mothers attending Anti-Retro viral Therapy follow up in public health centers of Gulele sub-city, Addis Ababa Ethiopia from February 1 to 28, 2018. Methods A health facility based cross sectional study design was used among 358 randomly selected HIV positive mothers of 0-23 months aged infants and children from four health centers in Gulele sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Data were collected using structured pretested questionnaire and entered into EPI data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 computer software for analysis. Binary and multivariate logistic regression was run and p<0.05 was used as statistically significant. Result The magnitude of recommended way of infant feeding practice among HIV positive mothers attending public health centers in Gulele sub-city is 37.4%, 95% CI(32.26-42.67). Statistically significant correlates of HIV exposed infant feeding practice of mothers in this study are knowledge of mother on HIV exposed infant feeding practice AOR=1.80 (95%CI =1.04-3.01), head of family being father AOR= 0.17(95%CI=.03-0.87), family (relatives) support AOR= 2.05(95% CI=1.00-4.18) and information on HIV exposed infant feeding , practice AOR=1.77(95%CI=1.07-2.93) were found to be independently associated (p-value < 0.05) with recommended way of infant feeding practice). Conclusion The magnitude of recommended way of infant feeding practice among HIV positive mothers in the study area was very low. Knowledge and information on infant feeding practice, head of family being father and family support of relatives were independently associated factors to recommended way of feeding practice. HIV positive mothers should be provided with adequate information to select the best feeding option for their infants and to successfully carry out their infant feeding decisions.