Nutrition and HIV/AIDS: A Training Manual - Linkages Project

done as early in the pregnancy as possible to minimize the impact of HIV on thewoman’s nutritional status and delay disease progression. The woman can thenremain productive and able to take care of her infant, herself, and her family.Psychological support for the HIV-infected pregnant or lactating woman oradolescent girl is integral to this care.Practical considerations1. Antenatal contacts with mothers can be used for voluntary counseling and testing(VCT) to determine as early in the pregnancy as possible whether the mother isHIV infected. Antenatal contacts can also be used for nutritional assessments todetermine whether eating patterns provide adequate nutrient intake and to allowfor early nutrition interventions, monitor weight gain during pregnancy, andsupport successful infant feeding post-partum.2. Actions have been identified for the health sector can carry out to improve thenutrition of pregnant and lactating women, including those who are HIV infected.These Essential Health Sector Actions aim to ensure the following outcomes(Huffman et al 2001):• Adequate food intake during pregnancy and lactation• Adequate micronutrient intake during pregnancy and lactation• Reduction in malaria infection in pregnant women in endemic areas• Reduction of hookworm infection in pregnant women in endemic areas• Birth spacing of 3 years or longerSee Handout 6.1: Health Sector and Maternal Actions to Improve Maternal Nutritionin Africa.The Essential Health Sector actions can be achieved through contacts with womenduring antenatal care, delivery and post-partum care, child health visits, and familyplanning services. Each contact point can be used to provide nutritional care andsupport to improve the nutrition of the pregnant and lactating women andadolescent girls.140