Compliance with the WHO-recommended infant feeding practices among HIV-positive mothers at Public Health Facilities of Mekelle, Tigray, northern Ethiopia

Breastfeeding is crucial for the health of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-exposed infants, survival, and development. In the absence of interventions, approximately 10-20% of children can acquire HIV infection during breastfeeding. There is a dearth of studies on this topic, and the findings are inconsistent in the study region. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended infant feeding practices among HIV-positive mothers at public health facilities in Mekelle city, Tigray, northern Ethiopia. A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Mekelle city. A total of 283 HIV-positive mothers attending the prevention of mother-to-child transmission service were included in this study. Data were collected through a face-to-face interview technique. Data entry and analysis were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Both crude and adjusted odds ratios were computed, and the level of significance was declared based on the adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval at a p-value < 0.05. In this study, the proportion of WHO- recommended infant feeding practice was 79% with a 95% CI (74.2-82.1%). Having antenatal care (ANC) follow-up (AOR = 4.92, 95% CI: 1.2- 20.7), mode of delivery (AOR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.5 - 6.32), disclosure of HIV status (AOR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.23 - 6.02), and having good attitude (AOR = 4.31, 95% CI: 1.91 - 9.8) were significantly associated with the outcome variable. In conclusion, the study found that a large proportion of HIV-positive mothers implemented the recommended infant feeding practice. Antenatal care follow-up, mode of delivery, HIV disclosure status, and maternal attitude were factors associated with infant feeding practice. Therefore, various actors in the health system should develop strategies that promote infant feeding practices appropriately to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection.