The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that HIV positive mothers not breastfeed their infants, regardless of maternal viral load and ART

1 February 2013. Related: Pregnancy, Paediatric care.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a policy statement for doctors caring for infants born to HIV positive women.

The statement emphasises that it is critical that they are aware of the HIV transmission risk from human milk and the current recommendations for feeding HIV-exposed infants in the United States.

It states: “Because the only intervention to completely prevent HIV transmission via human milk is not to breastfeed, in the United States, where clean water and affordable replacement feeding are available, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that HIV-infected mothers not breastfeed their infants, regardless of maternal viral load and antiretroviral therapy”.

Reference:

Committee on Pediatric AIDS. Infant Feeding and Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the United States. Published online January 28, 2013 (doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-3543)
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/01/23/peds.2012-3543