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HIV + and breastfeeding?From: AMD (anonymous@obgyn.net)Mon, 1 Feb 1999 12:54:04 -0600 (CST)
I just read a news article about a couple in Oregon who are fighting a court-order so the mother can breastfeed their 8-week-old son. The mother is HIV+. The court has also ordered a 6-week course of AZT for the baby, who is currently HIV-. The parents do not believe that HIV causes AIDS. They believe breastfeeding is better and it bolsters the baby's immune system , even if the mother is HIV+. They also do not want to treat their son with AZT because they believe it is toxic and ineffective. I can understand parents questioning AZT treatment for an HIV- newborn, but insisting on breastfeeding sounds risky to me. I also don't think the courts should capriciously interfere with parental decisions regarding the welfare of their child. Are these parents just wacko, or is there medical evidence supporting the idea that HIV+ mothers can and should breastfeed? I always thought that being HIV+ was an absolute contraindication for breastfeeding. Is there some faction of the breastfeeding movement that thinks breast is always best, no matter the mother's or baby's health? Is there proof that HIV can be transmitted through breastmilk? Is the viral load in breastmilk comparable to blood and other body fluids? Andrea
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