Infant Feeding Practice and Associated Factors among HIV Positive Mothers Attending ART Clinic in Governmental Health Institutions of Bahir Dar Town, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia, 2017

Objective: This study aimed to assess infant feeding practice and associated factor among HIV positive mothers attending ART service in governmental health institutions of Bahirdar town, Ethiopia, 2017.Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 Health centers and 1 Hospital which provides ART service in Bahirdar town from March to April, 2017. A total of 230 mother-infant pairs attending ART were selected by systematic random sampling technique. Structured interview was used to gather data on feeding practices. The data were coded, entered, cleaned and analyzed by SPSS software version 23. Bivariate and multivariate models were run to assess any relationship between each independent variable and outcome variables. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were used to ascertain for any association between the dependent and predictor variables while significance was determined using 95% confidence intervals.Results: The majority 173 (75.2%) practiced exclusive breast feeding up to six months of age. 13.9% and 10.9% of mothers practiced exclusive replacement feeding and mixed feeding, respectively. In multiple logistic regressions, Attended postnatal care (AOR (95% CI: 6.69 (1.647-27.178))), Time of initiation of first breast feeding after delivery (AOR (95% CI: 13.94 (2.98-65.05))), awareness of mothers on mother to child transmission of HIV via breast feeding was significantly associated with infant feeding practice (AOR (95% CI: 0.004 (0.00-0.05))).Conclusion: The study revealed that majority of the mothers’ experienced exclusive breast feeding (75.2%), postnatal care, time of initiation of first breast feeding after delivery and knowledge of MTCT during breast feeding were independent predictors of infant feeding practice.