Marian Knight and colleagues examined cases of TB during pregnancy using the UK Obstetric Surveillance System. They identified 33 women diagnosed with TB during pregnancy.
The cases occurred exclusively in ethnic minority women and almost exclusively in those not born in the UK.
The researchers found that, although screening for TB during pregnancy is recommended, it is not routinely undertaken.
‘Women and their doctors and midwives should be aware that the symptoms of TB in pregnancy may be different and consider the diagnosis, especially in recently arrived immigrant women, presenting with non-specific symptoms,’ they say.
tom.moberly@haymarket.com
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