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 Smangele.
Yes she can restart medication, she will however need to first see a doctor. They’ll need to go through what her treatment options will be. She’ll also need her CD4 count and viral load tested. Having her medical record would also help.
Hi my sister’s baby girl is hlv positive so she was taking madication 6mnths back and now she is not becouse she move to my granny she can start the madication again and what wll happen?
Hi Lungie.
Babies born to positive mothers need to feed their babies breast milk or formula. Mixed feeding isn’t recommended. If breast isn’t possible due to work then you’ll need to really think about just using formula.
I’m HIV positive and i have a baby is tested negative she 4weeks. I’m given my her a breast feed and formula because I’m working is gonna make my baby positive to ?
Hi Mimi,
Are you breastfeeding? If you are then your baby should still be on the neverapine. If you aren’t then its normal that a baby will stop the neverapine at 6 weeks.
The doctrim suspension is an antibiotic, as to why your baby has been given this you’ll need to ask your doctor. If your baby is vomiting then she may need to see a doctor.
Have you already had your baby tested?
Hibam Hiv positive n breastfeed my baby.So after 6weeks @ the clinic they gav me doctrim suspension and I ws giving her Neverapine before.And I give her Cerelec.The problem she vomit it and also Doctrim.Can you please help me what to do
Hi Favour Gift,
In the UK breastfeeding is not recommended. But guidelines in other parts of the world say that HIV positive mothers can breastfeed exclusively for 6 months. Then after 6 months baby can be weaned onto solid food.
But it’s important that you talk to the doctor about your baby’s treatment and tests for HIV.
There’s a lot of info in this guide to HIV, pregnancy and women’s health.
How long can an HIV positive mother breastfeed and the duration of nevirapine for the child, is it advisable to give the child nevirapine after 6weeks as the baby is been breastfeed?
Thanks Lisa
Now I understand better
Hi Maya,
Your viral load is very close to 50, it may even already be 50. The risks are likely to be minimal, if any. However the research that we have relates to undetectable viral loads, so less than 50.