Antiretroviral therapy for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission: Focus on single-dose nevirapine

Administration of potent antiretroviral combination therapy in the second and third trimester of pregnancy and during delivery, and for 6 weeks postpartum to the infant, may reduce HIV transmission from the mother to the child to 6 months after delivery or in those who are not severely immunocompromised. Furthermore, studies have shown that adding short-course (up to 7 days) zidovudine or zidovudine/lamivudine prophylaxis after delivery may dramatically reduce the occurrence of nevirapine resistance in both mothers and infants. Until data are available that allow a better understanding of the relevance of antiretroviral drug resistance acquired as a result of mother-to-child HIV transmission prophylaxis, women and children who have previously received single-dose nevirapine as part of a mother-to-child transmission prevention strategy should be considered eligible for NNRTI-based regimens and should not be denied access to antiretroviral therapy.