A Case of Postnatally Acquired Tuberculosis in a 2 Month Old Infant

Abstract

Introduction: Postnatally acquired tuberculosis is a serious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is fatal if left untreated. Following case report emphasises the need to consider tubercular infection in newborns and infants presenting with pulmonary infections particularly in India where burden of Tb is high. Case report: we present a case of 68 days old female infant brought to us with cough & respiratory distress. Investigations revealed tubercular infection, which the patient acquired postnatally from her paternal aunt, who was taking care of the child in the initial few days of her life. Conclusion: India is a country with high Tb prevalence. Therefore, in our country, physicians need to have a high index of suspicion for congenital or perinatal tuberculosis while evaluating infants with pneumonia. Early diagnosis and treatment improves the prognosis significantly.