HIV INFECTION THROUGH BREAST MILK

Perhaps we do not understand the difficulties an HIV infected mother will have in breast feeding a baby.

If she had followed correct procedure, she will have been on antiretroviral drugs from earlier in her pregnancy. Her baby will have been given drugs from birth.

The mother remains on ARV drugs through breast feeding and on through her life.

This means the viral load of the mother will have dropped to zero, causing zero viral load in blood and breast milk.

But what will happen if the mother lives far away in the highlands and runs out of ARV drugs? There has been a flood and the bridge has been washed away. She can not come down to the hospital for more drugs.

It means that her viral load will quickly rise, increasing the load in blood and breast milk. If she has run out of ARV, the chances are her baby will have no ARV too. The baby will quickly become HIV positive.