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 AND 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 Carol, congratulations on your baby. How long did your doctor tell you to give your baby NVP? After 6 weeks most guidelines recommend that NVP is no longer needed to be given to baby. Stopping for a week will not have risked your child being HIV positive.
Hi ..I’m breastfeeding a two month old baby so my nvp finished for a week..my baby can have hiv positive since I stopped for a week?
Hi concerned mum, please contact your clinic to ask what they want you to do. Meds for the baby can be different depending on your health and where you live. This factsheet has more info too.
https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/infant-meds-when-the-mother-is-living-with-hiv
Hi I breastfeeded for only two days is there a need to continue using nvp for my baby and she is 7 weeks now.
Hi Letsema, congratulations on having a baby. At 12 days old baby is still too young to be given most medication. For colic this link offers advise on what you can do to help soothe baby: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/colic/
Good day
My baby is 12days old and is on NVP. He started having colic problems two days ago. Is it okay to give him colic medication? And which one is best for babies on NVP?
Im breastfeeding
Hi, you can now stop giving your baby NVP. After 12 weeks there is no benefit to continuing with NVP. This is regardless of you breastfeeding or not.
My baby is 3 months and i have stopped breastfeeding im now giving her formula so i want to know that can i stop giving NVP to her or continue even though shes not breastfeeding
I shannon, why did your husband dispose of your medication? and how long until your due date?
Do you know your viral load? The lower this is to start, the lower the risk is to baby. Are there any local doctors/health clinics in your local area that would be able to provide en emergency prescription?
HIV Medication is the only way to reduce the risk of transmission. It is great that you have been taking them and this will help reduce the risk but it is important that you are able to access more.
Am expecting my child soon but my husband disposed off my drugs, I want to protect my child how can I do it , I will find a way of getting my drugs after delivery