The increasing burden of tuberculosis in pregnant women, newborns and infants under 6 months of age in Durban, Kwazulu Natal
Abstract
Objectives. In spite of the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) which has been exacerbated by HIV, the impact of these coinfections on maternal and perinatal health has been limited. We document new evidence from Durban, KwaZulu- Natal, on the increasing effects of TB in pregnant women, neonates and infants.
Method. Women with TB were prospectively tudied at the antenatal clinics and obstetric and labour ward at King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban, between 1996 and 1998. The incidence of TB was calculated, and the populationattributable fraction of TB due to HIV infection in pregnancy was estimated. Concurrently, culture-confirmed cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in neonates and infants under 6 months of age at the hospital were documented.
Results. One hundred and forty-six cases of maternal TB were detected. TB occurred in 0.1% and 0.6% of matemities in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Overall, TB rate for HIV non-infected matemities was 72.9/1<f, and for HIV-infected maternities, 774.5/10'. The attributable fraction of TB related to HIV in pregnancy was 71.7%; 10.3% of these mother died. There was a 2.2-fold increase in the caseload of culture-confirmed TB in neonates and young infants at the hospital.
Conclusion. In regions where TB and HIV prevalence is high, efforts to improve maternal and perinatal health must include the detection of TB in pregnancy.
Copyright remains in the Author’s name. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial Works License. Authors are required to complete and sign an Author Agreement form that outlines Author and Publisher rights and terms of publication. The Agreement form should be uploaded along with other submissions files and any submission will be considered incomplete without it [forthcoming].
Material submitted for publication in the SAMJ is accepted provided it has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Please inform the editorial team if the main findings of your paper have been presented at a conference and published in abstract form, to avoid copyright infringement. The SAMJ does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors.
Previously published images
If an image/figure has been previously published, permission to reproduce or alter it must be obtained by the authors from the original publisher and the figure legend must give full credit to the original source. This credit should be accompanied by a letter indicating that permission to reproduce the image has been granted to the author/s. This letter should be uploaded as a supplementary file during submission.
