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People with HIV can now breastfeed, new regulations say

The American Academy of Pediatrics has changed its position on breastfeeding. The organization says people with HIV who are taking medications to suppress the virus can now breastfeed their infants with very low risk of transmission to the child if they follow certain guidelines with support from medical experts.

It’s a big shift for the academy and will change the lives of many American mothers. The AAP does note that the only way to ensure no transmission is to not breastfeed.

For more on this change, host Robin Young speaks to Dr. Lisa Abuogi who authored the report that led to this change. She is a pediatrics specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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