New AAP Policy: HIV-Positive Mothers Can Safely Breastfeed with Proper Medication and Guidelines

Colorado, United States United States of America
Breastfeeding is important for both mother and baby, but the risk of HIV transmission is highest during the first 4 to 6 weeks of life.
Mothers must exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months to further reduce HIV infection risk.
Research shows that antiretroviral drugs can significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission via breast milk to less than 1%.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated its policy to allow HIV-positive mothers to safely breastfeed their babies if they are taking medications and following guidelines.
The new policy harmonizes with global recommendations from organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO).
New AAP Policy: HIV-Positive Mothers Can Safely Breastfeed with Proper Medication and Guidelines

In a significant shift in policy, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has announced that people with HIV can breastfeed their babies if they are taking medications to effectively suppress the virus and follow certain guidelines. This reverses decades-old recommendations that advised against breastfeeding due to the risk of transmitting HIV through breast milk.

The new policy, which recognizes the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby, comes as research shows that antiretroviral drugs can significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission via breast milk to less than 1%. However, mothers must exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months to further reduce HIV infection risk.

The AAP's updated stance harmonizes with global recommendations from organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), which has encouraged breastfeeding among HIV-positive parents in low- and middle-income countries since 2016. In some countries, breastfeeding is the norm for HIV-positive parents, making it confusing when told not to do so in the US.

LaTonya, a mother living with HIV for about 20 years, was able to breastfeed her son after discussing it with her doctors and developing a plan for constant monitoring and medication adherence. She expressed the importance of being able to breastfeed as a deeply emotional experience.

The risk of HIV transmission from breastfeeding is highest during the first 4 to 6 weeks of life, ranging from 5% to 6%. However, both ART and infant antiretroviral prophylaxis reduce this risk but do not completely eliminate it. Mothers with HIV who wish to breastfeed should initiate ART early in or before pregnancy, have sustained viral suppression, continuous access to ART and consistently take it, and give infant antiretroviral prophylaxis.

The AAP's updated recommendation aims to provide counseling and harm reduction approaches for people with HIV on ART with sustained viral suppression who desire to breastfeed. Previously, the organization recommended replacement feeding (with formula or certified donor human milk) as the only option that is 100% certain to prevent postnatal transmission of HIV.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Are there any potential risks or side effects for babies from their mothers' medication?
  • Is the research on the effectiveness of ART in reducing HIV transmission via breast milk robust enough?

Sources

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Moms with HIV can breastfeed if taking treatment and virus is undetectable, pediatricians’ group says

CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Jacqueline Howard Monday, 20 May 2024 04:01
  • Unique Points
    • The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has changed its position to allow people with HIV to breastfeed their infants with very low risk if they follow certain guidelines and have support from their medical care team.
    • People with HIV in the US have previously been advised not to breastfeed due to the risk of transmitting HIV through breast milk, but new research shows that antiretroviral drugs can significantly reduce this risk.
    • LaTonya, a mother living with HIV for about 20 years, was able to breastfeed her son after discussing it with her doctors and developing a plan for constant monitoring and medication adherence.
    • The AAP recommends replacement feeding (with formula or certified donor human milk) as the only option that is 100% certain to prevent postnatal transmission of HIV, but they now support counseling and harm reduction approaches for people with HIV on ART with sustained viral suppression who desire to breastfeed.
    • HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system and can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if not treated. LaTonya has been living with HIV for about 20 years.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article by Jacqueline Howard contains some instances of appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric but no formal or dichotomous fallacies. The author quotes experts in the field, such as Dr. Lisa Abuogi and Dr. Rana Chakraborty, to support her claims about the new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) regarding breastfeeding for mothers with HIV who are receiving antiretroviral treatment and maintaining an undetectable viral load. The author also uses emotive language when describing LaTonya's desire to breastfeed her son, but this does not constitute a fallacy as it is a valid expression of emotion. However, the article could have been more objective in its tone and avoided using phrases like 'essential for people to understand' or 'really working to make that a safe decision for women.' These statements imply an authoritative stance on the issue and may be perceived as inflammatory by some readers.
    • ][Dr. Lisa Abuogi, lead author of the report and a pediatrician in Colorado who works with people with HIV during their pregnancies] said. [[The AAP]] for the first time is explicitly saying that pregnant people with HIV who are on treatment and undetectable can be supported to breastfeed.[/
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

US pediatricians group reverses decades-old ban on breastfeeding for those with HIV

ABC NEWS SITE NAMES Name: ABC News Site Names URL: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-officially-blames-iran_106834435 ABC News Monday, 20 May 2024 06:58
  • Unique Points
    • People with HIV can breastfeed their babies if they are taking medications that effectively suppress the virus
    • HIV transmission risk via breast milk is less than 1% when mothers take antiretroviral therapy
    • Mothers must exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months to reduce HIV infection risk
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

AAP OKs Breastfeeding for Some Moms With HIV on ART

MedPage Today Katherine Kahn Monday, 20 May 2024 06:59
  • Unique Points
    • The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated its recommendation for mothers with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to allow safe breastfeeding if they meet certain criteria.
    • Mothers with HIV who strongly wish to breastfeed should initiate ART early in or before pregnancy, have sustained viral suppression, continuous access to ART and consistently take it, and give infant antiretroviral prophylaxis.
    • The risk of HIV transmission from breastfeeding is highest during the first 4 to 6 weeks of life and ranges from 5% to 6%, but decreases after that time.
    • ART and infant antiretroviral prophylaxis both reduce the risk of HIV transmission from breastfeeding, but do not completely eliminate it.
    • The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended breastfeeding for infants with HIV-positive mothers in low- or middle-income countries since 2016.
    • Breastfeeding among HIV-positive parents is the norm in some countries, making it confusing for them when told not to breastfeed in the US. The new AAP recommendation aims to harmonize with global recommendations.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority by citing the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and their clinical report. However, this is a valid use of an appeal to authority as it is a reputable organization providing evidence-based recommendations.
    • Some mothers with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with undetectable viral loads can safely breastfeed their infants, according to a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication