Comparing HIV And Breastfeeding

I personally define nursing as aiding in the recovery and survival of another person using the specialized knowledge, ability, and critical thinking skills attained through study and experience. The word nurse translates in Latin to nourish. This Latin translation reveals that nurses nourish when a person is in need. Angelo Gonzalo (2011) states, “Nursing is an art through which the practitioner of nursing gives specialized assistance to persons with disabilities which makes more than ordinary assistance necessary to meet needs for self-care” (Major Concepts section, para. 1). Nursing requires a diligent and hardy person to be able to assess the situation, access the appropriate knowledge and skills, and accordingly provide the care a person needs.

Virginia Henderson who is called the first lady of nursing defined nursing as the unique function the nurse performs to help the individual sick or well, conscious or unconscious perform that contributes to recovery , peaceful death or health promotion. These are functions an individual would have performed without assistance all things being equal.

With that in mind, my personal definition of nursing, although quite impossible to define, would be the science and art of providing holistic care to a client; physically, mentally, physiologically, spiritually and emotionally. I firmly believe that nursing care is not solely confined to an individual as nursing care tend to extend beyond the patient to family members and friends who care about their loved one. There are very few definitions out there that would capture the essence of my role in nursing, and I would entrust myself to repeat my

In order to decide on an accurate and well-described definition of what nursing is I sought multiple sources and decided upon two that I feel are representative of nursing. The American Nurses Association (ANA, 2015) declares, “Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.” As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2015)

According to the American Nursing Association, “ Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” (Association, Scope and Standards of Practice, 2010).

Breastfeeding is one of the best methods for providing infants with a healthy start to life. Breast milk helps the body fight off various bacteria and viruses that one’s child might be at risk for catching. Breastfed babies are thirty-six percent less likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome and are fifty-five percent likely to become obese later in life, compared to babies who are not breastfeed. (Workplace and Public Accommodations for Nursing Mothers, 2016) Not only is the child benefiting from breastfeeding, the mother is as well. Women who breastfeed are more likely to revert to their

Starting from infancy, parents have the right to make the decisions in their new child’s life, which includes breast-feeding their child. “Infant nutrition is important in development and

Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the complete form of nutrition for infants with a range of benefits for infants’ health, growth, immunity and development (Breastfeeding- Natural Is Best). All these factors can decrease Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS) and mortality. In serval meta-analyses babies that are breastfeed have a 36% decrease in the risk of SIDS. According to The Lives Saved Tool, an estimated 823,000 yearly deaths would be saved if breastfeeding was scaled up to universal levels. Disorders like necrotizing enterocolitis, that has a high case-fatality, showed a 58% decrease with breastfeeding (Victoria, Cesar G, et all.).

This paper will explain the benefits of breastfeeding and how it plays an extreme role in the long-term health of a child not only in the early stages of life but also into adulthood and how we as nurses can help promote this mode of nutrition.

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if not treated (About HIV/AIDS, n.d). Unlike some other viruses, the human body cannot fully rid itself of HIV completely, even with treatment. Simply put, once you contract HIV, you have it for life. This disease attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system stave off infections. When left to its own devices, HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells (T cells) in the body, making the person more likely to

“Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers” Statement taken from the world health organization publication on the nutrition of exclusive breastfeeding.

In December 1997 the American Academy of Pediatrics issued its most aggressive statement to due urging mothers to breastfeed for at least a year and beyond “for as long as mutually desired.” Mother’s milk alone provides all the nutrients necessary for a baby’s physical and mental development for at least at least six months, with the added benefit of natural immunity against numerous diseases. In Milk, Money and Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding, Naomi Baumslag, MD, MPD, asserts that “breastfed babies also have lower incidence of allergies, urinary tract infections, obesity, learning, behavioral and psychological problems, later-life heart disease, pneumonia, neonatal sepis, and giardia

Respectively, the American Nurses Association (2010c) currently defines nursing as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” (p.10).

Should a HIV positive mother breastfeed her baby? In 1985, the U.S. Public Health Service provided the first recommendations in efforts to help prevent HIV positive mothers from transmitting it to their child. It then was discovered that 1 in 7 infants of HIV positive mothers were in fact infected through breastfeeding (WABA.org). Perinatal transmission became the most common way of HIV infection in infants. In 2010 research advancements were made and showed that if the HIV positive mothers started receiving AVRs (antiretroviral drugs) throughout the time they are breastfeeding, the HIV transmission to the infant could be largely prevented. HIV positive mothers now have the option of breastfeeding if they are under the right treatment and can reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to the infant to less than 1% (CDC.gov). Those in favor for HIV positive mothers breastfeeding their babies argue that with the right treatment and precautions the mother can safely breastfeed her child. On the other hand those opposed to breastfeeding believe that although the HIV transmission from the mother to child could be largely prevented there is still a small percentage that the infant can get infected, and a larger risk of transmission in developing countries.

Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.