The HIV question got me really thinking. I spoke to a non-lactnetter health
educator who specializes in lactation. She also does the HIV education for a
large HMO. She let me know the following:
An HIV-positive infant can be tested for the actual virus. The common ELISA
HIV test tests only for the antibody. Lots of HIV-positive infants
seroconvert to negative once the mother's antibodies are no longer present.
This can take up to two years. The test is about $1000, uses a lot of blood
and can take up to eight weeks to get the results. An HIV-positive baby she
would breastfeed. An HIV-negative baby she would not breastfeed.
The vertical transmission of the virus is down to 15-30%. (Vertical
transmission is transmission from mother to baby.) The rates have been
declining because of better techniques during birth and the use of AZT and
similar drugs.
HIV-positive breastfed children live an average of 18 months longer than
artificially-fed children. Breastmilk provides the antibodies and the IgA to
fight the infection. Breastmilk has antiviral substances that can destroy
the protein coat of the cell.
An individual with a new HIV infection is up to 12 times more likely to pass
the virus on than a person with an "old" infection.
Her suggestion was to have breastmilk pasteurized while awaiting test
results.
Elizabeth