Anxiety and depression and their impact on functional recovery and quality of life in Guillain-Barré syndrome: a prospective cohort study in Bangladesh.

Infant feeding practices are parents’ efforts to regulate or alter the infant’s diet and eating habits. It is crucial for child growth, development, and survival, particularly during the first two years of life, as it supports immune function, prevents malnutrition, and reduces morbidity and mortality from common childhood illnesses. Infants born to HIV-positive mothers face increased risks of malnutrition, HIV infection, and mortality. The WHO recommends infants born to HIV-positive mothers start exclusive breastfeeding at birth, continue it for six months, and add complementary foods at six months when the infants are not HIV infected or have unknown HIV status. Replacement feeding is also recommended only when the AFASS (acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable, and safe) criteria are fulfilled. Moreover, HIV-positive mothers need to take antiretroviral therapy (ART) consistently throughout the breast-feeding period so that the risk of transmitting HIV to their children remains extremely low. About one-half of HIV transmissions were attributed to breastfeeding in Africa. In Ethiopia, HIV remains a public health concern, and infant feeding practices among HIV-positive mothers are strongly shaped by socio-economic disadvantage, stigma, and limited access to consistent, high-quality counseling services. Although national guidelines align with WHO recommendations, evidence suggests there are gaps in the appropriate infant feeding practices among HIV-positive mothers in Ethiopia. There is also limited context-specific data on infant feeding practices and their determinants in the Amhara region, and there is a need for localized evidence to inform interventions. Thus, this study aimed to determine infant feeding practices and identify the determinants among HIV-positive mothers in Bahir Dar City.