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 Nelly,
Due your baby being 6 weeks old and being on formula she doesn’t need to be talking nevirapine. The ilvitrim isn’t an ARV its an antibiotic. In the UK this isn’t given to children, so I’d ask why your child needs it/doesn’t.
Hi It’s Nelly again. Yesterday my daughter went for 6weeks at the clinic, and the nurse told me that they are out of ilvitrim suspension and they are not sure when they will have it. So as a concerned mother I kindly asked my mother to go to the hospital which i gave birth at and see if they can give her, so my mother went to the hospital with my daughter’s clinic card and they gave her Nevirapine again. so my worry is that my mother did not tell them that i switched to formula feeding a week ago. so i wanted to know if i can give my daughter the Nevirapine for so long that im still waiting for the clinic to have ilvitrim suspension?
Hi Bbubu,
It’s important you talk to the doctor about your daughter’s HIV treatment. Is she newborn? HIV treatment for newborn babies should take into account how at risk they were at birth. Dosages for HIV meds can be worked out according to weight too.
Here’s the guide to HIV, pregnancy and women’s health. It includes info on treatment for your baby, and on feeding your baby too.
What is the name of the pill that goes with the nevirapine and how much dosage should be given.my daughter sleeps a lot.could this be the effects of the medication#amworried
Hi Nelly,
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter and for her already testing negative.
Yes its possible to switch from breast milk to formula, this won’t be a problem. The important thing is not to mix feed.
Hi im Nelly an HIV+ mother to an 1 month 6days daughter.
She is on Nevirapine and tested HIV negative after birth..I started with breastfeeding since she was born now my mother wants me to switch her to formula for good. Is it okay to switch her now even if i gave her breast milk like an hour ago?
She will be going to the clinic for 6weeks next week
Please help
Hi I was brestfeding and have to much rush I stop when she is two weeks and give her formular so must i continue giving her neverapine or should I stop
Hi Mavis,
Neverapine is usually given for 4-6 weeks after a child is born. If you’re child is only 2 weeks old, then yes you need to finish the course. If you’re unsure how long you need to give her it please talk to her doctor.
Hi Lungie,
There’s no need to say sorry. I appreciate that it can be a very stressful time. If you’re breastfeeding then your baby should be taking ARVs, this is standard practice and is used as a precaution.
I don’t know why she’s been given antibiotics, this will need to be discussed with her doctor.
If she’s on formula then she doesn’t need to be on ARVs.
Hi Lisa
thank you but my problem now is if i continue with breast feeding must she take nevirapine or not because at clinic the give her antibiotics because
she 6 weeks and 3 days now must I go back or continued breast feed and give her antibiotics
I’m really confused now
pls pls pls I’m sorry to worry it just that I need help