A pre-term infant of 32 weeks gestation with congenital tuberculosis treated successfully with antituberculosis chemotherapy.

ABSTRACT

An infant of 32 weeks gestation was separated from her mother at birth for treatment of hyaline membrane disease and, on recovery, was cared for by adoptive parents. At 25 days, she was treated for pneumonia with immunoglobulins and multiple antibiotics and appeared to respond. Her symptoms recurred at 8 weeks and tuberculosis was confirmed by detection in an acid-fast bacilli smear of gastric aspirate. Her mother presented with disseminated tuberculosis with meningitis 1 month after delivery. Criteria for the diagnosis of congenital tuberculosis in the infant were confirmed.