Knowledge; attitudes and practices of exclusive breast-feeding of infants aged 0-6 months by urban refugee women in Kigali

This study aims at determining the knowledge; attitudes and practices of urban refugee women regarding the exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in order to promote its practice among this group of population and increase the number of women who adhere to it for achieving a better development of their children. The specific objectives of the study are to determine the urban refugee women's knowledge regarding EBF; to identify their source of information about EBF; to assess their attitudes towards EBF and to determine EBF practice rate among these women. This is a descriptive crosssectional study. It involves 90 urban refugee women who had children aged six months to two years during the period of the study. The study was conducted between January 2011 and mid-February of the same year. The main results are the following: 74.4 of the mothers have correct knowledge about the EBF; and the health facilities are reported to at 90 their main source of the information 71.1 of the mothers have positive attitude towards EBF; but 34.4 practised EBF up to 6 months. There is no significant correlation between the dependant and the independent variables (p 0.05). The factors leading the mothers in the study to such low practice of EBF; which are not captured by this study; might be anchored in their cultural or traditional practices. For almost all of the mothers come from the same country: the Democratic Republic of the Congo; mainly from the East of the country. Therefore; as a recommendation; a qualitative research should diligently be conducted in order to dig up the reasons for these women's failure in practising EBF to six months. In addition; the women's sensitisation for EBF practice should continue and be enhanced

Les determinants du desir de maternite chez les femmes seropositives: cas du district de Gicumbi au cours de l'annee 2007

La transmission verticale du VIH est la principale etiologie du VIH chez les enfants. Sa reduction est ainsi une priorite. Pour determiner la proportion des femmes qui desirent avoir des enfants et les causes de ce desir; une etude descriptive transversale a ete realisee dans le District de GICUMBI sur 310 femmes seropositives. Les resultats de cet etude etaient les suivants : 1) 21;6 des femmes etaient devenues enceintes apres avoir ete informees de leur statut serologique positif au VIH. 2) 49 des femmes etaient devenues enceintes apres avoir ete informees de leur statut serologique positif au VIH. 2) 49 desiraient avoir des enfants dans le futur. 3) Seules 42 d'entre elles utilisaient les contraceptifs. 4) Outre les facteurs socioculturels tels que le desir du mari (46;9) et la satisfaction personnelle (28); ce desir etait aussi motive par le jeune age (p = 0.000); le statut social (p = 0.047); la parite (p = 0.000); la connaissance des avantages d'utiliser les contraceptifs (p = 0.002) et des ARVs (p = 0.018) chez les femmes seropositives et le milieu de residence (p = 0.016). Le desir de maternite demeure ainsi un facteur de risque pour la transmission verticale du VIH chez les femmes seropositives du District de Gicumbi. Il est recommande aux prestataires de sante de fournir aux femmes seropositives l'information adequate sur le risque de la transmission verticale du VIH et l'existence des moyens de sa prevention