I have been gone for a few days (but met another LACTNETter and did we
enjoy our visit to the "Cheescake factory"!) so have missed out on things.
and am now catching up.

One of the areas I try very hard to stay up on is that pertaining to HIV
and breastfeeding. More and more articles are coming out with data
suggesting that far fewer than 50% of babies breastfed by HIV+ (but
healthy) mothers are NOT seroconverting.  So, what is said in the US about
risks of contracting HIV thorugh breastmilk and what is reality in other
countries varies greatly.

We need to be VERY CAREFUL about wehat we recommend as a result.  Also,
keep in mind that the HIV virus is very fragile as viruses go and is killed
with pastueruizatino. This raises the question. If a mother knows she is
HIV+ and WANTS very much to bbreastfeed, could she not do so using her own
milk that has been pasteurized?

Comments by MDs would be helpful here.



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 %% "We are all faced with a series of great opportunities      %%
 %% brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."            %%
 %% definition of a lactation consulting service.               %%
 %% Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC - [log in to unmask]          %%
 %% Homewood, Illinois USA                                      %%

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