United States – America’s leading pediatric association has actually changed its policy on HIV-positive moms breast-feeding their kids after refraining from doing so for decades.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has now released new recommendations stating that breastfeeding or the provision of breast milk can be safe for HIV-positive moms provided they are under effective HIV therapy.
Reduced Transmission Risk
AAP evidence review finds that the risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding from a virally suppressed mother is lower than 1%.
It is a small risk that should be balanced against the health and financial benefits of nursing, the AAP contends.
Supportive Approach
“Research now shows that the risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding is quite low when the lactating parent is on anti-retroviral treatment and has no detectable viral load,” said Dr. Lisa Abuogi, lead author of the AAP review.
“While avoiding breastfeeding is the only option to guarantee that the virus is not transmitted, pediatricians should be ready to offer family-centered and nonjudgmental support for people who desire to breastfeed,” said Abuogi, who is the medical director for the Children’s Hospital Colorado Immunodeficiency HIV Prevention Program.
According to the AAP estimates, it is reported that almost five thousand women with HIV in the US transmit the virus to their children every year.
If left untreated, then the woman can pass the HIV to the developing fetus at the time of birth or while nursing the baby.
However, life-long therapy with daily medication can keep those with HIV healthy and send their viral load undetectable, according to an AAP statement.
Pediatrician Recommendations
The AAP explains that it is acting in line with CDC guidelines, which stipulated that women with HIV should not be encouraged to breastfeed as far back as 1985. They now recommend the option of breastfeeding for HIV-positive mothers, after discussing it with a doctor.
The AAP recommends that pediatricians:
- Identify the HIV-positive pregnant women to advocate for counseling and prescribe the right antiretroviral drugs.
- Be ready to assist HIV-positive women who wish to breastfeed if they initiated the antiretroviral regimen within the first trimester or prior to pregnancy and are keen on maintaining the suppression of viral load through the period of breastfeeding.
- Educate: Pregnant women or new mothers with a high risk of HIV transmission through human milk if they were infected while lactating.
”It is amazing to see how much healthcare professionals, researchers, and people living with HIV have accomplished over the last few decades in reducing the potential to transmit HIV at birth in the United States,” said Abuogi in an AAP news release.”