Social and Behavioral Interventions Program, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Center for Learning and Childhood Development Ghana, AF 3190 Adenta Flats, Accra, Ghana.
AIDS Behav. 2019 Feb;23(2):433-444. doi: 10.1007/s10461-018-2194-2.
Care for low birthweight (LBW) infants can contribute to psychological difficulties and stigma among mothers living with HIV, creating challenges for antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and retention in HIV care. We explored how caring for LBW infants affects maternal ART adherence and retention in care. We conducted 30 in-depth interviews with postpartum women living with HIV in Accra, Ghana: 15 with LBW infants and 15 with normal birthweight (NBW) infants. Compared to mothers with NBW infants, mothers with LBW infants described how caring for their newborns led to increased caregiver burden, prolonged hospital stays, and stigma-contributing to incomplete ART adherence and missed clinical appointments. For a few women, care for LBW infants created opportunities for re-engagement in HIV care and motivation to adhere to ART. Results suggest women living with HIV and LBW babies in Ghana face increased challenges that impact their adherence to care and ART.
照顾低出生体重（LBW）婴儿会给感染艾滋病毒的母亲带来心理困难和耻辱感，从而给抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）的依从性和艾滋病毒护理的保留率带来挑战。我们探讨了照顾 LBW 婴儿如何影响母婴的 ART 依从性和护理保留率。我们在加纳阿克拉对 15 名患有 LBW 婴儿的 HIV 产妇和 15 名患有正常出生体重（NBW）婴儿的产妇进行了 30 次深入访谈。与有 NBW 婴儿的母亲相比，有 LBW 婴儿的母亲描述了照顾新生儿如何导致照顾者负担增加、住院时间延长以及导致 ART 依从性不完整和错过临床预约的耻辱感。对于少数女性来说，照顾 LBW 婴儿为重新参与艾滋病毒护理和坚持 ART 提供了机会。研究结果表明，加纳感染艾滋病毒和 LBW 婴儿的母亲面临着更大的挑战，这影响了她们对护理和 ART 的依从性。
