21.3
Infant HIV prophylaxis
Clinical HIV Guidelines, 5th Edition, 2022. Chapter 21, Newborn care and postnatal follow up.
Clinical description
- Daily infant ARV prophylaxis shields the baby from HIV infection during the riskiest time.
- Give infant prophylaxis for the same duration regardless of the mother’s ARV regimen.
- Infants of women with unsuppressed VL are at high risk of MTCT (see criteria below)
- Select the infant prophylaxis regimen based on risk:
o Low risk: NVP syrup 24-hourly for 6 weeks o High risk: AZT/3TC/NVP (2P) 1⁄4 tablet 12-hourly for 6 weeks
- For NVP Syrup
o Store NVP syrup bottles + syringe: dark, cool, clean and dry and out of children’s reach.
o Use an old syrup bottle filled with water to show how to draw 1.5ml of syrup in the syringe.
o Hand out one example syringe where the 1.5ml line has been marked with a pen.
o Squirt the syrup in the back of the infant’s mouth between the cheek and the gum to ensure it gets swallowed (use cup to demo).
o Rinse the dosing syringe carefully with clean water after every use and let dry.
o Bring back to the health facility at the 6-week vaccination visit all NVP bottles (whether used or unused). The nurse will check if the right amount was used.
Check doses against the printed guideline and your clinical judgement before treating a patient. Spotted an error? Report it from the contact links below.
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