Abstract:
This research explores the importance of infant formula for children born to mothers living with HIV, considering that the main form of transmission of the virus to children occurs vertically. The study focuses on the benefits of infant formula for those mothers who, due to HIV, cannot breastfeed, and seeks to analyze the main approaches to formula as a safe and effective nutritional strategy. Therefore, the research presented here aimed to examine the main fields of study on the relevance of infant formulas as a nutritional strategy, offering a safe and nutritious food source that assists in healthy growth and the prevention of vertical transmission. To this end, a bibliographic review and analysis of the results researched in two databases were carried out, namely the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) and the Virtual Health Library (VHL), with a time frame from 2014 to 2024, using the descriptors “infant formula” and “HIV”. In both the BVS and the BDTD, seven results were initially found on each platform and, after pre-analysis, five results from the BVS and three from the BDTD were read in full and analyzed. After this analysis, it was possible to identify the feeding difficulties of children exposed to HIV and the challenges faced by children as mothers and caregivers without a support network. It is noteworthy that there are few studies on the subject and, therefore, there is great importance for new academic research.
