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, my baby is 5 weeks old now. He’s on nvp and my viral load is undetectable. Is it safe to give him cripe water for colic?
Hi Rose, congratulations on having a baby.
It is great that you are undetectable and your baby is on NVP. How old is baby now?
Mixed feeding can increase the risk of transmission. This is because changing between these feed types can irritate baby’s tummy. This irritation makes transmission more likely even when viral load is as low as yours – this increase is very minimal but it is still present.
This is why it is recommended to use only one feed type until baby is 6 months old. At this age baby will have a developed tummy and there will be no irritation caused by changing treatments.
Has baby had a test yet?
Hi I have been mix feeding my baby since day one my viral load is understandable and my baby is on NVP will she still get HIV from feeding her
Hi Marcia, do you know why your sister is not taking treatment? and is baby taking any treatment?
Hi, my sister is HIV positive but not taking treatment and she is breastfeeding
Hi Jane, congratulations on having a baby. Did your nurse give you another reasons for the white things if they said it isn’t thrush?
The most common explanation would be something called milk residue. This is just when baby does not make enough saliva to help swallow all the milk. Some milk will then be left on the tongue. This would explain why it is so easily removed. Is baby well in themselves?
If they had oral thrush other symptoms like cracks around their mouth, not eating properly and would be more irritable than normal.
As you had been on treatment for a few months before baby being born and have continued to be on treatment while feeding, the risk of HIV transmission is very low. As stated the most likely reason for these white things is the milk residue.
Hi
I’m on Art since I was 6 months pregnant, I have a 6 months old son. For the past 6 days i have been seeing white things on his mouth and I went to clinic and the nurse told me my son had no thrush. I continued breastfeeding but to I wiped of those white milky things and its like he has thrush. Could he be infected? I’m sccare.
Hi Phiwe, yes baby is safe. How old is baby?
Occasionally being late with a treatment is not going to risk transmission. As you are on treatment and your viral load is so low at 46, the risk to baby is already minimal.
As you did remember to give baby nevirapine only a few hours late, this is not going to be a problem.
I forgot to give my baby neviropine on time i only gave her few hours later and im breastfeeding is she still safe?
Hi Beauty, I am sorry but I do not know what Ratine drops are. Do you know if they have another name?
Reflux in babies is common. For more information please see her e: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/reflux-in-babies/