Body composition changes during lactation in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected South African women

The nutritional consequences of HIV infection in lactating women are unknown.

To measure the body composition of South African lactating women in relation to HIV status.

Fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) using bioimpedance spectrometry (BIS) and anthropometric measurements were obtained at 8 and 24 weeks postpartum in 92 HIV-infected (HIVpos) and 50 HIV-uninfected (HIVneg) lactating mothers.

At 8 weeks, HIVpos and HIVneg mothers were not significantly different in height (159.7 vs. 158.9 cm), weight (62.7 vs. 63.9 kg), body mass index (BMI; 24.6 vs. 25.3 kg/m), FFM (40.7 vs. 42.8 kg), or FM (21.6 vs. 22.0 kg), respectively. In HIVpos women, the median CD4 count was 621 (range: 101-1585) cells/muL; 95% had CD4 counts >200 cells/muL. Between 8 and 24 weeks, HIVpos mothers had a mean weight loss of 1.4 kg in contrast to a 0.4-kg weight gain in HIVneg mothers (P < 0.01). There were no significant group differences with regard to change in FFM (0.3 vs. 0.1 kg; P = 0.9) and FM (-1.5 vs. -0.3 kg; P = 0.2).

HIVpos South African breast-feeding mothers without severe immune suppression lost weight and subcutaneous fat between 8 and 24 weeks postpartum, whereas HIVneg mothers gained weight. FFM was maintained postpartum in HIVpos and HIVneg mothers.