☛ Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission of HIV (PPTCT)
HIV infection in a pregnant mother can be transmitted to her baby during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding.
All pregnant women should be screened for HIV during pregnancy as early as possible (First Trimester).
The HIV infected pregnant and breastfeeding woman should start multidrug ART regimen at the earliest. This improves her health outcomes and prevents transmission of HIV to baby.
The multi-drug ART has the potential to dramatically reduce the HIV transmission from mother to baby to less than 5% as opposed to 15-45% in the absence of any interventions.
☛ EID – Early Infant Diagnosis
A special blood test for HIV diagnosis (RNA PCR test) is undertaken for all babies born to HIV infected mothers at 6 weeks (Dried Blood Spot), 6 months and 12 months (Antibody Testing & Dried Blood Spot).
All infants born to HIV infected mothers are given Syrup Nevirapine from birth till 6 weeks / 12weeks.
Confirmatory testing for HIV antibody in the baby is done at 18 months of age.
All babies born to HIV infected women are put on prophylactic treatment (syrup co-trimoxazole) to avoid opportunistic infections from 6weeks of age till 18 months/ 5years depending on baby’s HIV status.
A baby detected HIV positive is immediately started on Antiretroviral Treatment at the ART centre.
☛ Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission of HIV (PPTCT) 
