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Review
. 1988 Jul 16;2(8603):143-4.

HIV infection, breastfeeding, and human milk banking

No authors listed
  • PMID: 2899194
Review

HIV infection, breastfeeding, and human milk banking

No authors listed. Lancet. .

Abstract

PIP: The advice of a circular published by the British Department of Health (DHSS), suggesting that all women at high risk of being exposed to HIV not breastfeed their children has prompted discussion of safety of breastfeeding and milk banking. Vertical transmission of HIV from mother to infant via breastfeeding is not proven: only a few cases of infants seroconverting in women having tested negative during pregnancy have been reported. In contrast, intrauterine or intrapartum transmission is known to occur, and HIV has been isolated from cervical secretions, placenta, amniotic fluid, and the uterine cervix. It is discriminatory to categorize all women of certain nationalities, socioeconomic groups, etc. As high risk, when prenatal HIV screening is not being done. Many of these multiply deprived women are those whose children would most benefit by breastfeeding. The DHSS circular also suggests that donors of breast milk be screened for HIV, and that milk be kept in cryostorage for 3 months. Pasteurization of human milk by the Vickers Medical or the Axicarew Colgate Medical Pasteuriser effectively eliminates HIV. Therefore even milk donors do not need to be labeled screened. The DHSS circular establishes an unnecessarily discriminatory policy.

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