Question

It is normal for your baby to be given a short course (4 weeks) of HIV treatment (such as nevirapine) when born. This doesn’t mean your baby is HIV positive. This will be checked later through testing. A different type of testing is also used on babies as the normal antibody test used in adults will show the baby as positive.

Do you mind me asking if you are taking HIV treatment for your health?

455 comments

1. Roy Trevelion • 12 August 2019

   Hi Babe,

   Firstly, congratulations on having had a new baby. And it sounds like you’re doing all you can.

   It’s good that you’ve been taking your ARVs religiously and that you have an undetectable viral load. Missing one dose is unlikely to cause viral rebound. That could happen if you stopped treatment. But you missed just one dose.

   Please talk to the doctor about the best way to feed your baby. There is some increased risk if you mix feed with both breastmilk and formula milk.

   But you can switch to formula only. Especially as you don’t have enough breastmilk for her.

   All babies born to HIV positive mothers are given a short course of HIV treatment such as nevirapine. Ilvitrim is an antibiotic that can stop other infections. Please ask the doctor how long your baby needs to take this.

   I’m not sure why the nurses made funny remarks. There can be many reasons why mothers switch to formula only. That’s why it’s important to discuss all this with your doctor.

   Here’s the guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health for lots more information, including after your baby is born.

2. Babe • 12 August 2019

   Hi there

   I tested positive on my first ANC appointment and 3 months in January 3 months after blood test and results were undetectable (April) I continued taking my ARV’s religiousIy and was meant to be tested again in July as my EDD was mid July.

   I then gave birth naturally on the 29th of June before the second blood test were done, I take my medication at 8pm everyday but on the 29th I was in labour already and baby was born at 21:49 so I missed my pill that day.

   My next dose was on the 30th at 8pm but was already told to breastfeed the baby the previous night and the whole day of the 30th (question 1) in that space of time could my viral load have rebounded causing a risk of transmission to the baby when I delivered her?

   I then breastfeed on the 29th, 30th and the 1st of July even though the milk was literally a drop in the ocean hence I came to the conclusion that the baby was starving and on Tuesday morning 2nd I bought formula and started eff

   (Q2) Could there have been a risk of transmission from changing from breastfeeding to formula in the 2 days that I breastfed?

   I was also give Neviropine for to give baby everyday for 6 weeks and today at the check up I was told another PCR test will be done at 10 weeks and I should stop giving baby Neverapine and give her Ilvitrim suspension the first test came out negative.

   Is my baby at risk and I am really panicking for the blood test that are going to be done at 10 weeks since I was receiving really funny looks and remarks from the nurses after I told them that I changed from breast to formula

3. Roy Trevelion • 9 August 2019

   Hi Meiki,

   I’m sorry to hear your baby is very unwell. But it’s important to see the doctor urgently if your baby has sepsis.

   It’s good that your baby tested HIV negative. Having sepsis doesn’t mean that your baby is now HIV positive.

   Please see the doctor quickly because sepsis can be very serious and your baby needs treatment quickly.

4. Meiki • 9 August 2019

   Hi all. Am hiv positive mom. Gave birth at 36 weeks through cesarian. My viral load was less than 40 copies at birth. The first test done to my baby came negative. Now the baby is 4 weeks and has a high level of sepsis infection. Does this mean my baby is now hiv positive

5. Roy Trevelion • 6 August 2019

   Hi Lesego,

   Yes, it’s fine to change to formula if your circumstances change like this. Please see this similar Q&A.

   As Simon says, it’s important to exclusively use either breastfeeding only, or formula milk only.

   So if your circumstance make it important to change this is also usually okay. But your clinic can give you the best information about how and when to do this.

6. Lesego • 6 August 2019

   my bby is on cipla nevaripine and im breastfeeding her is it possible to change to formula after 2 months coz I’m going back to work?

7. Roy Trevelion • 27 July 2019

   Hi Thabelo,

   Please can you check the names of the meds? Did you mean Cipla nevirapine? This is an HIV med given to newborn babies for a short time to protect against HIV.

   If you have changed to formula it’s important not to breastfeed as well. Switching to only formula is not a risk to your baby.

   But please talk to the doctor and discuss you baby’s treatment and about feeding.

   Here’s the guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health.

8. Thabelo • 27 July 2019

   Hi I’m an HIV mother with an Ltd load gave birth this Monday n when they test the baby at the hospital they found out that his ok and gave me capla nivarophil for a single dosage in the morning I dd breast feed for 3 days and change to formula I would like to know if that 3 days won’t affect the baby

9. Lisa Thorley • 18 July 2019

   Hi Koko,

   Please ask your docotr about this, they will be able to advice.

10. Koko • 18 July 2019

    Hi,I want to know that if my baby is taking nevarapine can I also give him muthi wenyoni n gripe water n m not breastfeeding