Question
Will starting ART late affect my baby?
28 July 2016. Related: All topics, Pregnancy, South Africa.
Hi, I only found out that I am hiv positive while 28 weeks pregnant with cd4 count of 406.
I started treatment right away but missed two doses. I gave birth at 38+4 days.I am exclusively formular feeding my baby and she is on neverapine syrup.
My nurse told me that my baby will be positive as I started treatment late. Is there any chance that she can be negative?
Answer
Hi
Congratulations on your new baby. I hope you are both doing well – it is a very special time.
The nurse was wrong and I don;t know why they would have said this.
There is a very good chance that you baby will not have HIV. You were on treatment for almost ten weeks and this could easily have been long enough to get your viral load to undetectable.
Without treatment, there is about a 1 in 3 chance (30%). With treatment and an undetectable viral load, the risk oops to about 1 in 100 (1%).
Hi Resego,
If it’s possible please have another viral load test- I say this as this could simply be a viral load blip. If it isn’t a blip, you’ll need to change medication. Though this might be a daunting prospect, you’re early in your pregnancy, so if there are issues with your treatment there will be time to resolve these.
As you’re pregnant, you might find the following helpful: https://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
I have been on art for 4 years and my viral load was undectable all along,even the test I did in March 2020 was undectable. I’m now 14 weeks pregnant and my viral load has picked to 930, I have never missed my pill (apritecga) what could be the problem.. I am afraid ,will it harm my baby
Hi Marshia,
Its not possible to say if your baby will be OK or not. However as long as your viral load is under control the risks will be drastically reduced. Please see here: http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
Hi in January my viral load was 1024 ive been taking my meds will my baby be ok
Hi Mika, there is very little risk to your baby from breastfeeding – this is widely recommended now in many countries when the mother has undetectable viral load. I do not know what ou mean by “jostle”. If you just mean being knocked when feeding, this will all be okay but talk to your doctor if you are worried.
Hi
I’m hiv positive. Undetectable viral load and cd4 of above 500. I breastfeed exclusively but baby was given a jostle or 2. Does it mean my baby is in danger?
It’s good that you’ve started treatment because this will help to reduce your viral load. Having an undetectable viral load at the time of delivery can dramatically reduce risk to your baby’s health. Starting ART late is defined at 28 weeks of pregnancy but before labour starts.
Modern ART is now recommended in many countries at any CD4 count. A study last year showed that HIV treatment has important benefits for your health, even if your CD4 count is still high. So there can be benefits to your health if you continue after delivering your baby.
However, HIV can be transmitted to the baby from breast milk. Here in the UK it’s recommended to bottle feed your baby. But continuing ART and having an undetectable viral load could reduce this risk if you don’t have access to formula milk and clean bottles.
You can find more information about HIV, pregnancy and women’s health in this guide:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
I am 26 weeks pregnant and I tested positive with 433 CD4. I was given Tribuss, I just want to know will my baby be born negative and what will happen if I leave the treatment after delivering my baby?