Zambia Exclusive Breastfeeding Study

HIV Infection Clinical Trial

Official title:

Short Duration Exclusive Breastfeeding With Abrupt Weaning to Reduce the Risk of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00310726
• Other study ID #: R01HD039611
• Secondary ID: R01HD039611
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: April 3, 2006
• Last updated: July 26, 2011
• Start date: May 2001
• Est. completion date: December 2006

Study information

• Verified date: July 2011
• Source: Boston Medical Center
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Institutional Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The study is designed as a randomized, controlled trial with specific observational objectives. All HIV-seropositive pregnant subjects electing to breastfeed their child will be counselled to exclusively breastfeed through 4 months of age. All live-born children will be randomized (1:1) at birth to one of two counseling programs: A) to encourage abrupt weaning at 4 months of age, or B) to encourage exclusive breastfeeding through 6 months of age with the introduction of typical weaning foods ad lib.

Description:

It is well established that infants breast fed by their HIV-infected mothers are at risk of acquiring HIV infection through breast milk. However, in low resource settings, where the HIV epidemic now predominates, breast feeding cannot simply be replaced by breast milk substitutes since alternatives to breast milk are unavailable, unaffordable and unsafe. With this application we aim to test the safety and efficacy of short duration exclusive breast feeding to minimize risks of HIV transmission without increasing risks of non-HIV infant mortality. We propose a 5-year study of HIV-positive mothers and their children to be conducted in two urban primary health care clinics in Lusaka, Zambia. All HIV-positive women and their infants will be offered the two-dose nevirapine intervention and will be counseled about the risks and benefits of infant feeding options. Women who indicate their decision to breast feed will be eligible for enrollment into the study. A culturally appropriate, affordable and sustainable breast feeding education and support program to encourage exclusive breast feeding will be developed, and all women who elect to breast feed will be encouraged to exclusively breast feed to 4 months. Half of the women will be randomized to a counseling program which will encourage abrupt weaning to full replacement feeding at 4 months, and half will be randomized to a program to encourage continued breast feeding after 4 months with the usual introduction of weaning foods. Children will be followed for two years with regular medical histories, physical exams and clinical sampling. The primary objective of the study, based on the random assignment, is to compare HIV transmission rates and under-2 year mortality rates in children who abruptly wean at four months of age versus children who are weaned according to local practice. The second primary objective, based on observational comparisons, is to compare HIV transmission among infants whose mothers adhere to recommendations to exclusively breast feed with those who do not. Secondary objectives are to describe acute and chronic effects of abrupt weaning on child morbidity. The study proposes to test an inexpensive and potentially sustainable public health intervention to reduce HIV transmission through breast feeding while preserving benefits of breast feeding for other aspects of child health in a very low resource setting.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 1435
• Est. completion date: December 2006
• Est. primary completion date: December 2006
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 18 Years to 40 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• HIV-positive pregnant women identified through VCT

• After counseling about the risks and benefits of feeding alternatives report that it is their intended decision to breastfeed

• Live within the catchment area of George or Chawama clinic

• Are between 30 - 34 wks gestation. (To insure that opportunity exists to receive a minimum of 2 lactation counseling sessions prior to delivery)

• Do not have any significant presenting illness that requires hospitalization

• Agree to adhere to the requirements of study participation (including exclusive breastfeeding and randomization into one of two infant feeding groups at four months).

• Willing to inform a household member (preferably husband/father) of HIV-status.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Lives outside of catchment area;

• Have known major illnesses likely to influence pregnancy outcome including diabetes, severe renal or heart disease, or active tuberculosis, prior to randomization;

• Does not intend to breastfeed;

• Prior enrollment in this study or concurrent enrollment in another study

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Prevention

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• HIV Infection

Intervention

Other:
• abrupt weaning at 4 months
abrupt weaning at 4 months
• Continued exclusive breastfeeding
Continued exclusive breastfeeding

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Zambia	George and Chawama District Health Clinics	Lusaka

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Boston Medical Center	National Institutes of Health (NIH), United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Zambia, 

References & Publications (26)

Albrecht S, Semrau K, Kasonde P, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Vwalika C, Aldrovandi GM, Thea DM, Kuhn L. Predictors of nonadherence to single-dose nevirapine therapy for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2006 Jan 1; — View Citation

Arpadi S, Fawzy A, Aldrovandi GM, Kankasa C, Sinkala M, Mwiya M, Thea DM, Kuhn L. Growth faltering due to breastfeeding cessation in uninfected children born to HIV-infected mothers in Zambia. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Aug;90(2):344-53. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009. — View Citation

Castelletti E, Lo Caputo S, Kuhn L, Borelli M, Gajardo J, Sinkala M, Trabattoni D, Kankasa C, Lauri E, Clivio A, Piacentini L, Bray DH, Aldrovandi GM, Thea DM, Veas F, Nebuloni M, Mazzotta F, Clerici M. The mucosae-associated epithelial chemokine (MEC/CCL — View Citation

Fawzy A, Arpadi S, Kankasa C, Sinkala M, Mwiya M, Thea DM, Aldrovandi GM, Kuhn L. Early weaning increases diarrhea morbidity and mortality among uninfected children born to HIV-infected mothers in Zambia. J Infect Dis. 2011 May 1;203(9):1222-30. doi: 10.1 — View Citation

Fox MP, Brooks D, Kuhn L, Aldrovandi G, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Mwiya M, Horsburgh R, Thea DM. Reduced mortality associated with breast-feeding-acquired HIV infection and breast-feeding among HIV-infected children in Zambia. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 200 — View Citation

Fox MP, Brooks DR, Kuhn L, Aldrovandi G, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Horsburgh R, Thea DM. Role of breastfeeding cessation in mediating the relationship between maternal HIV disease stage and increased child mortality among HIV-exposed uninfected children. Int — View Citation

Ghosh MK, Kuhn L, West J, Semrau K, Decker D, Thea DM, Aldrovandi GM. Quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in breast milk. J Clin Microbiol. 2003 Jun;41(6):2465-70. — View Citation

Gray RR, Salemi M, Lowe A, Nakamura KJ, Decker WD, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Mulligan CJ, Thea DM, Kuhn L, Aldrovandi G, Goodenow MM. Multiple independent lineages of HIV-1 persist in breast milk and plasma. AIDS. 2011 Jan 14;25(2):143-52. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0b — View Citation

Heath L, Conway S, Jones L, Semrau K, Nakamura K, Walter J, Decker WD, Hong J, Chen T, Heil M, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Thea DM, Kuhn L, Mullins JI, Aldrovandi GM. Restriction of HIV-1 genotypes in breast milk does not account for the population transmission — View Citation

Kuhn L, Aldrovandi GM, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Mwiya M, Thea DM. Potential impact of new WHO criteria for antiretroviral treatment for prevention of mother-to- child HIV transmission. AIDS. 2010 Jun 1;24(9):1374-7. — View Citation

Kuhn L, Aldrovandi GM, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Semrau K, Kasonde P, Mwiya M, Tsai WY, Thea DM; Zambia Exclusive Breastfeeding Study (ZEBS). Differential effects of early weaning for HIV-free survival of children born to HIV-infected mothers by severity of m — View Citation

Kuhn L, Aldrovandi GM, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Semrau K, Mwiya M, Kasonde P, Scott N, Vwalika C, Walter J, Bulterys M, Tsai WY, Thea DM; Zambia Exclusive Breastfeeding Study. Effects of early, abrupt weaning on HIV-free survival of children in Zambia. N Eng — View Citation

Kuhn L, Kasonde P, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Semrau K, Scott N, Tsai WY, Vermund SH, Aldrovandi GM, Thea DM. Does severity of HIV disease in HIV-infected mothers affect mortality and morbidity among their uninfected infants? Clin Infect Dis. 2005 Dec 1;41(11) — View Citation

Kuhn L, Kasonde P, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Semrau K, Vwalika C, Tsai WY, Aldrovandi GM, Thea DM. Prolonged breast-feeding and mortality up to two years post-partum among HIV-positive women in Zambia. AIDS. 2005 Oct 14;19(15):1677-81. — View Citation

Kuhn L, Semrau K, Ramachandran S, Sinkala M, Scott N, Kasonde P, Mwiya M, Kankasa C, Decker D, Thea DM, Aldrovandi GM. Mortality and virologic outcomes after access to antiretroviral therapy among a cohort of HIV-infected women who received single-dose ne — View Citation

Kuhn L, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Semrau K, Kasonde P, Scott N, Mwiya M, Vwalika C, Walter J, Tsai WY, Aldrovandi GM, Thea DM. High uptake of exclusive breastfeeding and reduced early post-natal HIV transmission. PLoS One. 2007 Dec 26;2(12):e1363. — View Citation

Kuhn L, Sinkala M, Semrau K, Kankasa C, Kasonde P, Mwiya M, Hu CC, Tsai WY, Thea DM, Aldrovandi GM. Elevations in mortality associated with weaning persist into the second year of life among uninfected children born to HIV-infected mothers. Clin Infect Di — View Citation

Kuhn L, Trabattoni D, Kankasa C, Semrau K, Kasonde P, Lissoni F, Sinkala M, Ghosh M, Vwalika C, Aldrovandi GM, Thea DM, Clerici M. Alpha-defensins in the prevention of HIV transmission among breastfed infants. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2005 Jun 1;39(2) — View Citation

Murnane PM, Arpadi SM, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Mwiya M, Kasonde P, Thea DM, Aldrovandi GM, Kuhn L. Lactation-associated postpartum weight changes among HIV-infected women in Zambia. Int J Epidemiol. 2010 Oct;39(5):1299-310. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyq065. Epub 201 — View Citation

Sabbaj S, Edwards BH, Ghosh MK, Semrau K, Cheelo S, Thea DM, Kuhn L, Ritter GD, Mulligan MJ, Goepfert PA, Aldrovandi GM. Human immunodeficiency virus-specific CD8(+) T cells in human breast milk. J Virol. 2002 Aug;76(15):7365-73. — View Citation

Semrau K, Ghosh M, Kankasa C, Sinkala M, Kasonde P, Mwiya M, Thea DM, Kuhn L, Aldrovandi GM. Temporal and lateral dynamics of HIV shedding and elevated sodium in breast milk among HIV-positive mothers during the first 4 months of breast-feeding. J Acquir — View Citation

Semrau K, Kuhn L, Vwalika C, Kasonde P, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Shutes E, Aldrovandi G, Thea DM. Women in couples antenatal HIV counseling and testing are not more likely to report adverse social events. AIDS. 2005 Mar 24;19(6):603-9. — View Citation

Thea DM, Vwalika C, Kasonde P, Kankasa C, Sinkala M, Semrau K, Shutes E, Ayash C, Tsai WY, Aldrovandi G, Kuhn L. Issues in the design of a clinical trial with a behavioral intervention--the Zambia exclusive breast-feeding study. Control Clin Trials. 2004 Aug;25(4):353-65. — View Citation

Walter J, Ghosh MK, Kuhn L, Semrau K, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Thea DM, Aldrovandi GM. High concentrations of interleukin 15 in breast milk are associated with protection against postnatal HIV transmission. J Infect Dis. 2009 Nov 15;200(10):1498-502. doi: 10 — View Citation

Walter J, Kuhn L, Kankasa C, Semrau K, Sinkala M, Thea DM, Aldrovandi GM. Reuse of single-dose nevirapine in subsequent pregnancies for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in Lusaka, Zambia: a cohort study. BMC Infect Dis. 2008 Dec 30;8:172 — View Citation

Walter J, Kuhn L, Semrau K, Decker DW, Sinkala M, Kankasa C, Thea DM, Bulterys M, Ou CY, Aldrovandi GM. Detection of low levels of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be critical for early diagnosis of pediatric HIV infection by use of dried blood spot — View Citation

* Note: There are 26 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	HIV infection detected by 4 months among children with no evidence of HIV infection at birth.		24 months of age	No
Primary	Magnitude of the reduction in mother-to-child HIV transmission and the magnitude of the increase in non-HIV-related under-2-year mortality, attributable to cessation of breastfeeding at 4 months.

External Links

•   AIDSMAP report of primary findings