Pregnant and positive

If you are positive, it does NOT mean your baby will be HIV positive.

How is HIV transmitted in pregnancy?

HIV is transmitted from mother to child at 2 points ; either labor or delivery and breast feeding

Taking ARVs throughout pregnancy and delivery and maintaining a very low viral count will reduce the chance of transmission to the baby.

Does it matter how I deliver?

Delivering via operation better known as caesarean delivery is recommended if your viral load is 1000 and above to reduce the risk of transmission.

If your viral count is low then a normal delivery will be fine unless there is another medical reason

The caesarean may be planned and timed slightly early.

After birth, your baby will receive medicines to either

1)prevent getting HIV.

2)or to treat HIV if they are at high risk

What increases the chances of my baby being positive?

  1. You did not start ARVs before delivering or breastfeeding or

  2. You only started taking ARVs after you went into labor (started having contractions) or

  3. You started taking ARVs early, but you had not achieved a low viral count by a month before you gave birth, or

  4. You had an unknown HIV status and discovered your positive when you were tested during labor or shortly after delivery

  5. You got new HIV while still pregnant or breastfeeding. You may have been negative before and turned positive.

If any of the above happened, your baby will likely be started on medication to treat HIV unless they test negative.

The chances of your baby getting HIV are lowest if you

a)Get tested early

b)Start ARVS early and they are working

c)Take them consistently and continue until you get a very low viral count

d)Maintain the low viral count throughout the time you are pregnant , delivering and breastfeeding and beyond

If you do the above, your baby will be at low risk of HIV and will be given medicine to prevent getting HIV until a test confirms they are negative.

JIKAZE MAMA

You can make all the difference.

Your good decisions will be a blessing to your children.

A healthy child will in turn be a blessing to you .

Show your love in your actions. You are the greatest advocate for your baby.

Breastfeeding

1)Our guidelines recommend for exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months.

The guidelines in the Western countries like the US and Europe and Australia recommend for other alternatives.

Why is this different? This is because

a)The guidelines we use are made for areas where there may not be access to clean water. And in such circumstances, diarrhea from dirty water can kill the baby.

b)Formula may be too expensive for the majority

c)The evidence that a low viral count in the mother would guarantee reduced risk of spreading HIV to the baby is not very strong. Meaning there is still a low chance of transmission to the baby.

2)If you opt to breast feed ways to reduce risk to the baby are like;

a)Not breast feeding if you have sores around the nipples or if the baby has a white coating on his/her tongue until it is treated and resolves

b)Taking your ARVs throughout and keeping your viral levels down

c)If your feeling depressed after delivering, seek help early. Don’t miss your medication

d)Discuss with your doctor about ARV prevention for the baby

3)The following options are safer than breastfeeding , if available to you and is what they use in the West;

  • banked donor breast milk (clean, stored milk from HIV negative mothers) (Pumwani recently set up one) or

  • a properly screened HIV-negative surrogate/woman

  • Infant formula feeds (if you have access to clean water and can afford formula)

    These are the most reliable methods to guarantee no transmission so far

Common names of ARVs that may be prescribed for your baby to prevent HIV may include

  • Zidovudine

  • Nevirapine

  • Lamivudine