HIV-positive parents can now breastfeed if their viral load is undetectable, pediatrics group says

After decades of recommending that HIV-positive parents avoid breastfeeding, a leading association of pediatricians has declared that HIV-positive people can breastfeed their babies as long as they take medications that make their viral load undetectable.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a report last Monday officially recognizing that the risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding is “very low,” or less than 1% if the parent receives antiretroviral therapy (ART). . The report states that “pediatricians should be prepared to offer a harm reduction, family-centered, nonjudgmental approach” to supporting parents who are living with undetectable HIV. If parents take this approach, they should breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of their infant’s life, as switching from breast milk to formula or other foods is thought to be associated with an increased risk of infection by HIV by disrupting the intestine, according to The Associated Press.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Lisa Abuogi, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Colorado, told the AP: “The drugs are so effective now and the benefits to (the parents) and the baby are so important that we are at a time where it is important to engage in shared decision-making.

The AAP has recommended against breastfeeding HIV-positive parents since the AIDS epidemic began in 1985. While breastfeeding previously accounted for 30% of HIV infections passed from parent to child, according to the ‘AP, the widespread availability of ART has changed dramatically. reduces this risk. Today, fewer than 30 infections occur each year among U.S. infants, according to the AP.

Breastfeeding is known to have many benefits for both parent and child. In addition to the lower cost of breastfeeding, breast milk shares parents’ antibodies with the baby, may reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and provide many benefits for mental health.

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