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?
Good evening ma, sir please am HIV positive, and my baby is 5weeks now, I have been on ART drugs since 2014,and I have been given my baby formula for 3weeks now, since my breast milk didn’t flow, but my breast milk is flowing now, can I breast feed and give formula at the same time.since my baby is on nivirapine
Hi Anonymous, congratulations on having a baby. Before 6 months it is not recommended to mix feed. This is because changing between feed types each day can increase the risk of transmission.
Are you able to pump/express for the time that you are at work so baby is able to have breastmilk while you are at work? If this is not possible it would be recommend that you switch exclusively to formula feeding.
Hie pliz advice ma baby is 3 and half months old ,he tested negative at 10 weeks and l was exclusively breastfeeding but now lam going to work can l mixfeed with formula during the day and breastfeed at night and there stopped giving him nevarapine at the clinic
Hi Silamlele, congratulations on having a baby. It is great that baby has finished their treatment.
Baby will have one final HIV test after breastfeeding stops. Even though baby has finished treatment, there is still a very SMALL risk of transmission. This is made smaller by you also being on treatment.
Baby does not need to continue with their own treatment while breastfeeding. There is no evidence to suggest that continuing will help reduce the risk of transmission.
You have already done everything correct and baby’s risk is minimal.
Hi.. my baby has reached the 6weeks taking the neviporine and adco-zidovudine but now finished so moving on forward will she not be infected not having to take any syrup coz I’m a positive breastfeeding mom
Hi Langelihle, thanks – and congratulations on your new baby.
If your viral load is undetectable, then sometimes using formula milk will not cause any harm to you baby. This depends on you have clean water and being able to make up the formula milk carefully, as recommended.
It is also good to explain this situation to your doctor or clinic.
Hi my baby is 1 month was breastfeeding her and am hiv+ and now I have to go back to work is it OK to give formula during the day and breastfeed at night? My baby is on nevirapine
Hi Maczebra, congratulations on your new baby – this must be an exciting time. So long as your viral load is undetectable, it should be okay to switch between breast and formula milk. It is also good to talk to your doctor as some countries might give different information.
Hie I am a mother of a 2 months baby and I’m HIV positive but on a treatment so is my baby my question is ihave to go back to work next month and I can’t take my baby with will it be ohk to give her formula during the day and breastfeed at night
Hi Anon, thanks, please aqsk you clinic these questions.
This is becasue recommendations are different in different countries. Some countries recommend using NVP for longer than others. The time also depends on other circumstances, including your viral laod when the baby was born.
This link has ore information, but you need your clinic to personalise this info for you.
https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/infant-meds-when-the-mother-is-living-with-hiv
best wishes