Feed For Life

The Feed For Life Initiative is a project that aims to educate mothers in infant feeding choices that will reflect the mother’s living conditions and ultimately promote breastfeeding. The main objectives are:

  • Decreased infant mortality and morbidity due to inadequate formula feeding and HIV infection.
  • Prevention of mixed feeding, breastfeeding and substitute feeding, by HIV positive mothers.

Mixed feeding carries a 200% higher chance of transmission of the HI Virus than exclusive breastfeeding by and HIV positive mother, or the exclusive replacement feeding (formula feeding) of an infant born to an HIV positive mother.

At present the South Africa government, as part of its Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Program (PMTCT), recommends that mother either formula feed of exclusively breast-feed. Mothers who choose to formula feed are supplied with 2 tins of formula once they leave the hospital and 8 tins of formula per month for the first six months of the infant’s life.

These efforts have proven at best unsustainable. Clinics run out of formula, recipient live in conditions that do not promote safe replacement feeding, formula is sold for profit and mothers are unable to reach the few disparate PMTCT clinics. The unsustainability of formula handouts ultimately leads to the extremely dangerous practice of mixed feeding, placing many infants at risk of HIV transmission. Exclusive breastfeeding on the other hand is seldom advised at clinics. Mothers are not educated in the exact meaning of ‘exclusive breastfeeding’ and the dangers that mixed feeding carries.

Half of South Africa’s antiretroviral budget is spent on formula, whilst virtually no resources are directed at alternatives such as the home pasteurization of breastmilk. Flash heating of breastmilk has been research in a joined effort between the Universities of KwaZulu-Natal and Berkeley, California. This method destroys HIV, whilst preserving the majority of the nutritional and immunological properties of breastmilk. Additionally it is resource efficient and does not require specific or expenisive equipment.

How does Flash-heating work?

“Simple methods which could be implemented by mothers in their kitchens or over a fire have been simulated.” (Ballard et al, 2004)

  1. 1Litre aluminium pot with 450ml of water for a water bath jacket.
  2. A peanut butter jar for 50ml of breastmilk.
  3. The jar is placed in the water and the pot placed on heat source.
  4. When water boils remove milk immediately from both the water and the heat source.
  5. When milk is cool enough feed to infant in cup.

What do we propose to do?

A third alternative is required for the safe feeding of infants of HIV positive mothers, one which recognises the nutritional value of breastmilk as well as it economic contribution in an environment where food security is precarious.

To launch the Feed For Life Initiative, what SABR proposes is that in conjunction with our sponsors we run a pilot project on a small sample of mothers (10 mothers), so as to ascertain what it would cost for mothers to establish a well sustained Flash-heated, breastfeeding practice following an indepth education

Why?

  • To establish whether there is an alternative to formula feeding that is more suitable to the South African context.
  • If Flash-heating, per mother, proves to be cheaper or on a par with the cost of handing out formula, it could offer a viable alternative to the present formula rollout the government is committed to. It is worth noting that at present half of the South African ARV budget is spent on formula. If a cheaper and safer mode of infant feeding were to be identified a lot of funds could be redirected towards the treatment of HIV/AIDS.
  • The data collected from the pilot project would then provide the launch pad for the second phase of the Feed For Life Initiative. Results will be presented to the media, the relevant governmental departments as well as NGO’s and other potential partners in the private sector so as to raise funds and support for Flash-heating of breastmilk as an alternative mode of infant feeding.
  • The second Phase of the Initiative will look at ways in which to extend the Flash-heating of breastmilk into the wider South African context, alongside a program that adequately educates women in infant feeding choices.