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Biomedical subjects

Miriam H Labbok

Publications and source records attributed to Miriam H Labbok.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Trends in exclusive breastfeeding: findings from the 1990s.

This article presents trends and differentials in exclusive breastfeeding patterns that occurred in developing settings during the 1990s and considers these trends in relation to the breastfeeding-support activities in that decade. Between 1990 and 2000, the data suggest that exclusive breast-feeding levels in the developing world increased 15% overall among infants younger than 4 months (from 46% to 53%) and among infants older than 6 months (from 34% to 39%). The increase in urban areas is of special note. Urban areas are presumed to be most susceptible to the ambient health system and social and commercial pressures against breastfeeding; the support activities of the 1990s (eg, the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes) were developed to address these pressures. Given this, implementation of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, which supports these proven interventions, should be effective in further increasing optimal breast-feeding practices.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Modeling the effects of different infant feeding strategies on infant survival and mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated how, under various conditions, the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV through breastfeeding compares with the risk of death from artificial feeding. METHODS: We developed a spreadsheet simulation model to predict HIV-free survival during 7 age intervals from 0 to 24 months for 5 different infant feeding scenarios in resource-poor settings. RESULTS: Compared with artificial feeding, breastfeeding during the first 6 months by HIV-positive mothers increases HIV-free survival by 32 per 1000 live births. After 6 months, as the age-specific mortality rate and risk of death caused by replacement feeding both decline, replacement feeding appears to be safer. CONCLUSIONS: Under conditions common in countries with high HIV prevalence, replacement feeding by HIV-infected mothers should not be generally encouraged until after the infant is approximately 6 months old.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2003

Estimation of births averted due to breast-feeding and increases in levels of contraception needed to substitute for breast-feeding.

After contraceptive use, breast-feeding duration is the major determinant of the birth interval length. Three methods of estimating births averted by breast-feeding, and the increase in contraceptive use needed to substitute for breast-feeding, are presented. Method 1 simply utilizes Bongaarts' Ci, and the other two are based on mean birth intervals with and without breast-feeding. Estimates for each method are derived for six countries with DHS surveys from the mid-1990s: Burkina Faso, Uganda, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Peru. The estimated percentage of additional births that would occur if there were no breast-feeding ranged from 1-4%, in Brazil to about 50% in Burkina Faso and Uganda, reflecting very low breast-feeding in Brazil and very high levels in the sub-Saharan African nations. Strengths and limitations of the three methods are considered.

Adolescent↗