Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status of HIV-Exposed Infants seen in a Tertiary Hospital in Sokoto, North-western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Adequate and proper infant feeding is an effective lifesaving strategy, especially for HIV-exposed infants. The feeding practices and nutritional status of HIV-exposed infants are critical components in ensuring their optimal growth and development. In the context of Sokoto, a state located in north-western Nigeria, several factors influence how these infants are fed and their nutritional outcomes. The need to explore the dynamics of HIV exposure, maternal care, socio-economic conditions, and local healthcare practices is vital for assessing the situation. This study was aimed at determining feeding practices and nutritional status in HIV-exposed infants in a Tertiary hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional study conducted among HIV-exposed infants attending the Paediatric ART clinic, UDUTH, Sokoto. The demographics, infant feeding practices, weight, and length of the randomly selected HIVexposed infants attending the clinic were documented. The nutritional status was determined using the WHO classification of malnutrition. Data were analysed using SPSS version 27.0. A p-value of ≤0.05 was taken as significant. Results: One hundred and seventy were studied. One hundred and two (60%) were aged 12.1 – 18.0 months with a mean (±SD) age of 16.9(±3.6) months. There were 90 males with 104(61.2%) from low socio-economic class One hundred and thirty-four (78.8%) were exclusively breastfed, 115(67.6%) were initiated on complementary feed at 6 months of age and 84(49.4%) had plain pap as complementary feed. Sixty-seven (39.4%) were undernourished with stunting, underweight and wasting seen in 46(27.1%), 30(17.6%), and 27(15.9%) of the children respectively. There was a statistically significant association between the complementary feeding practices and the nutritional status of HIV-exposed infants. Conclusion: The majority of HIV-exposed infants had breastmilk with suboptimal complementary feeding practices and attendant poor nutritional status. Efforts should be geared towards improving appropriate complementary feeding practices for infants to enhance their nutritional status.