Question
Will my baby have HIV?
15 December 2016. Related: All topics, Children, Newly diagnosed, Pregnancy.
I’m HIV positive and I started taking meds on the second month of my pregnancy. I gave birth not knowing my viral load and my baby is now 6 days old and is taking nevirapine. What are the chances of him getting infected? I am also breast-feeding.
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch, and congratulations on the birth of your baby.
The chances of transmitting HIV to babies is dramatically reduced if a woman’s viral load is undetectable at delivery. In most cases this happens within 1-3 months of starting meds. Sometimes it might take longer if viral load was very high when starting.
Because you started treatment early in your pregnancy, it is very likely that your viral load was undetectable. However, without knowing your results, I cannot be sure of this.
When you gave birth did you have a vaginal delivery? If you did, was this supported by your doctor? If it was, then this may be an indication that your VL was undetectable.
You being on treatment is important as this will also protect the baby while you are breastfeeding.
It is also good that your baby is taking meds as this will give extra protection.
This means there is a really good chance your baby will not have HIV.
The meds for the baby will help this and then testing is the only way to finally find out. Unfortunately, it takes a while for the testing to show this.
For more on infants and testing, please see the following:
https://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy/hiv-negative
Hi Thuli,
As Liza says on the similar question above, there’s a really good chance your baby will not have HIV. Unfortunately, it takes a while for the testing to show this.
For more on infants and testing, please see the following:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy/hiv-negative
I am hiv positive I found out when I was pregnant, started treatment on second trimester and when I gave birth on june my baby tested negative and I am not breastfeeding, I only breastfed him once at the hospital and after that I gave him formula, and I gave him NVP for 6 weeks. Is there any chance that he’s positive
Hi Martha,
Do you mean you were undetectable when you had your baby? That sound like good news. It’s good too that she has tested HIV negative at 12 months. But you can ask the clinic why they didn’t give her HIV meds and also if they will test again.
In the UK, it is good practice to test the baby on the day she or he is born. The test is repeated after six weeks and again at three months.
If all these tests are negative, and you are not breastfeeding your baby, then your baby does not have HIV.
I was negative when I gave birth and the baby was negative too.at 12month i visted the clinic and my baby was negative.how and why they didn’t give her hiv drugs
Hi Lerato,
The chances are really very low, if any at all. You being undetectable is really important and your baby is also on medication.
Hi
I gave birth and my viral load is less than 20, I’m breastfeeding but on the first day I gave my baby formula because I was struggling with breast feeding, what are the chances of him getting infected with HIV. I’m on art and his also on meds
Hi Nana,
It’s great that your viral load was only 20 when your baby was born. So it sounds like your HIV treatment (ART) is working very well.
But have you asked the doctor about your baby’s treatment? All babies need a short course of ART for the first weeks of life. So please talk to the doctor about his treatment too.
In countries where formula milk is not readily available it’s recommended that mothers breastfeed exclusively for 6 months. And after that wean the baby onto solid food.
Here’s a guide to HIV pregnacy and women’s health. It includes sections about your baby after birth, and about breastfeeding.
HI
When i gave birth my viral load was less than 20 and my baby wasn’t given treatment to take for six weeks. What could be the reason amd iz there any chance that he may be infected since im breastfeeding?
Hi Johan,
Its very unlikely that your baby will have been put at risk due to this one incidence of mixed feeding. They’ll be fine.
I am his positive and breastfeeding, one day I switched my 6weeks old baby to formula,I was breastfeeding throughout the night till morning then I gave him formula with the idea that I won’t breastfeed again but then he didn’t like the formula and he couldn’t stop crying so the same night I went back to breastfeeding. My baby tested hiv negative at birth, I would like to know if this will put him at risk?
We are both on medication.