A pilot study conducted jointly by Sassoon General Hospital (SGH), B.J Medical College, John Hopkins University, National Aids Research Institute and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, has finally offered a ray of hope to HIV infected mothers. These mothers can now breastfeed their HIV negative newborns safely without transferring the virus if infants are offered post exposure prophylaxis. In Pune, SGH is offering post exposure prophylaxis to the infants.

The pilot study found that the risk of hospitalisation and death were higher in HIV negative infants of HIV positive non-breast feeding mothers than among HIV positive mothers who breastfed. The treatment by NACO involves a dose of Nevirapine to the mother during labour. Says, Dr. P.M. Bulakh of BJMC, "Six weeks of daily Nevirapine is given to babies of women who enroll in a trial."

Dr. Bulakh further added that if this were found to help in preventing HIV transmission through breastfeeding, it would help save lives and make it a policy decision for the government to offer prophylaxis to women.