Increased Risk for Tuberculosis in Women During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Increased incidence of active TB during pregnancy and postpartum was found predominantly among women who immigrated from countries with high tuberculosis incidence.

During pregnancy, the immune response is physiologically altered, with less tumor necrosis factor (TNF) secretion and reduced T-helper cell 1 function. Theoretically, these changes should make pregnant women more susceptible to reactivation of latent tuberculosis (TB), an opportunistic infection commonly associated with impaired TNF secretion or attenuated T-helper cell function. However, studies investigating an association of active TB with pregnancy have yielded conflicting results.

To clarify this issue, researchers in Sweden, a country with low TB incidence, combined data from the national birth register with data from the national TB register. Between January 2005 and December 2013, 553 of the 649,342 women aged 15 to 49 years who gave…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Increased Risk for Tuberculosis in Women During Pregnancy and Postpartum

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Reviewing Author