African mothers who are HIV-positive should breastfeed their babies, despite
the small chance of transmitting the virus in their milk, says a US researcher.
In a report for UNICEF, Michael Latham of Cornell University in Ithaca says that
bottle feeding is a much greater risk. Infants in poor households who are fed
formula are five times as likely to die of infection and disease as those who
are breastfed. 鈥淭here is an exaggerated belief in the risk of viral transmission
through breastfeeding,鈥 he says.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Mind
‘Remarkable’ discovery upends our understanding of how brains store memories
News
Humans
DNA reveals a society organised around women in pre-Roman Britain
News
Physics
Quantum entanglement is key to solving 250-year-old maths problem
News
Space
The most breathtaking photos of the total solar eclipse
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles