Question
My baby is on nevirapine and I’m breastfeeding, is my baby positive?
19 August 2016. Related: All topics, Pregnancy.
Answer
Firstly, congratulations on having your baby.
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.
Our guide on pregnancy has lots more information
https://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
In the UK, the BHIVA (British HIV Association) guidelines recommend bottle feeding.
This is because in countries where mothers can have access to to formula milk AND clean water ANDÂ bottle sterilising equipment, the risk of transmitting HIV to the baby through bottle feeding is zero. There are different recommendations for other countries though and many women breastfeed. I am not sure about the recommendations in Zambia.
This means that you are doing the best that you can to protect your baby.
However, being positive and looking after a new born baby can be hard and many people need help. Do you have much support around you to help or are you touch with good care from your doctor?
Hi Angela,
If you have a rash, this will need to be looked at. However, if it’s simply a case of reoccurring spots, this won’t be down to the medication that you’re taking.
Acriptega blue container and Co-trimoxazole
Hi Angela,
What ARVs are you taking?
Can the treatment cause stubborn pimples nd acne that keeps coming back and does not want to go away
Hi Charity,
All babies born to positive mothers are given a course of ARVs as the following explains: https://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy/will-baby-need-hiv-drugs
How old is your baby?
Hi my baby was negative im use a fomular milk is possible to give baby navirapine but im not feeding breast milk
Hi Angela
Please talk to your HIV clinic about your plans. There are lots of situations where continuing to breastfeed is okay, but your clinic knows your individual situation. It is great you are taking you meds but when you say “we” are you also talking about your baby. If yes, then please also check with your clinic that this is okay.
hi…. is it possible to breastfeed a baby up to 18 months and he be tested negative…..we both take our meds every day…?
Hi TK,
Yes you can give your baby colic drops, there won’t be an interaction with the nevirapine.
Good they.
Please I just wanna know if it’s ohk to use colic drops medicines while using nevirapine?
I will reply appreciate if you can help me please…