Notwithstanding the HIV/AIDS epidemic ravaging sub-Saharan Africa, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for at least the first 6 mo of life remains the cornerstone of child survival. Accumulating evidence indicates that EBF, as compared with predominant or mixed breastfeeding, reduces the risk of HIV infection and increases the likelihood of HIV-free survival among infants born to HIV-infected mothers (1). In the current issue of the Journal, Koyanagi et al (2) show that, in an African setting with high prevalence of HIV/ AIDS, EBF also has benefits for infants born to HIV-uninfected mothers, which supports the current World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for early EBF for all infants.
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