Question

Does vomiting when you’re pregnant make transmission more likely?

9 August 2012. Related: All topics, Children, HIV transmission, Pregnancy.

I just want to find out if there is a chance my baby will be HIV negative if I used to vomit aluvia and lamzid during my pregnancy. I started taking it at 5 months.

I informed my doctor about it and he prescribed vomidon which worked 4 only a week. I would vomit either in the morning or afternoon and sometimes both times. At 35 weeks my viral load was undetectable and CD4 count dropped from 598 to 548. At 37 weeks I stopped taking medication because the baby would kick harder.

My baby’s father is HIV negative. Is there a chance my baby is negative?
I am waiting 4 her results and am very scared to get them. Please reply

Answer

Answer: Angelina Namiba

Firstly, I am sorry you went through such a difficult time during your pregnancy. I hope that things have settled down for you in terms of your general health. Can I ask if this is your first baby? How is she doing generally? And have you got family or friends supporting you as you recover from the delivery?

I can appreciate your worry in terms of the uncertainty as you wait for your baby’s test results. This is quite common. I have worked with many positive mothers who say that waiting for the baby’s result to come through can be quite an anxious time.

You mention that you used to throw up in the morning and evening. Would this be immedietley after you  had taken the medication or some hours later? It is likely that the medication would have been absorbed in your body by the time you threw up. This is because, on average, Lamzid is absorbed into the body between 30 minutes – 2 hours after you take it.

You mention too that your viral load was undetectable at 35 weeks.Having an undetectable viral load indicates that the medication was working well. Did you deliver shortly after that? It may help you to know that the aim of ARVs is to get your viral load to undetectable levels by the time you deliver. Having an undetectable viral load at this time is the main way of preventing transmission to the baby.

There is therefore, a chance that your baby could be negative. However, and I can appreciate this is not easy for you. The only way you will confirm this for sure is to be strong and go for the results.

Good luck with the results and please let us know if we can help further or again in the future.

Best wishes.