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Please Note: Due to volume considerations, not all questions can be answered. Questions most likely to be answered will be those of general interest to a broad group of visitors to this forum. Questions pertaining to a specific case; requests for diagnosis, medical advice, or second opinion; or requests for opinions about untested alternative therapies will generally not be answered.

Ask the Experts about Women and HIV

 

Babys and HIV
May 27, 2006

I have heard that the HIV died when is exposed to the air or cold temperatures. If a woman is HIV+ and she wants to breast feed her baby, is it possible to put the breast milk in the freezer and later feed the baby with that milk?

Response from Dr. Sullivan

HIV infected women who breast feed their infants have a high risk of transmitting virus to their babies. Breast milk transmission accounts for a large number of infected babies in the developing world. Studies to date suggest that the risk of transmitting HIV through breast milk is directly related to the amount of virus[ viral load] in the the breast milk. Studies are underway to show whether women, receiving combination therapy, with an undetectable viral load in the blood have reduced risks of transmitting HIV through breast milk. Chilling or freezing breast milk will not eradicate HIV from breast milk. JLS.



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