Timing and duration

Clinical description

• Start giving infant prophylaxis as soon as possible after birth – the earlier, the more effective.
• Infant prophylaxis can be started anytime between birth and 4 weeks of age if the mother presents

late. Starting prophylaxis later is less effective and may cause drug-resistant HIV if the baby is already infected (and needs to start ART).

• Stop giving prophylaxis when the infant is 6 weeks old. The infant will receive less than 6 weeks of

prophylaxis if it has been started late.