Question
Can I continue giving my baby nevirapine?
11 January 2024. Related: All topics, Children, HIV transmission, PEP/PEPSE.
Hi, I’m 5 weeks postpartum, with an undetectable viral load and a negative baby. At birth I was given nevirapine to give to the baby as I was breastfeeding. I breastfed for 3 weeks and stopped due to low production of milk. I continued giving the baby nevirapine until a week ago when I fell sick and couldn’t take proper care of the baby(I forgot most of the things). I’ve fully recovered, can I continue to give the baby nevirapine and by stopping it did I not put my baby at risk?
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Congratulations on having a baby. It is great that you have been undetectable and baby was started on nevirapine.
Nevirapine is given as a post-exposure treatment from being in mums tummy. It is not used to prevent transmission from breastmilk.
In most cases it is recommended for baby to be on nevirapine for 4-6 weeks regardless of how they are fed, after birth. As you had been undetectable 4 weeks is a suitable amount of time for baby to be on treatment.
Has your doctor told you how long to give nevirapine for?
It is safe to go back to breastfeeding (if this is only switched once). More often baby is given a medication called co-trimoxazole while being breastfed. This is to prevent other infections that mum might be at risk of and can pass on via breastmilk.
Josh.
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