Causes of tuberculosis in pregnancy

Untreated tuberculosis (TB) disease represents a greater hazard to a pregnant woman and her fetus than does its treatment.

Treatment should be initiated whenever the probability of TB is moderate to high.

• Infants born to women with untreated TB may be of lower birth weight than those born to women without TB and, in rare circumstances, the infant may be born with TB.
• Although the drugs used in the initial treatment regimen for TB cross the placenta, they do not appear to have harmful effects on the fetus.

Treatment for Latent TB Infection and Pregnancy

• For most pregnant women, treatment for latent TB infection can be delayed until 2–3 months post-partum to avoid administering unnecessary medication during pregnancy.
• For women who are at high risk for progression from latent TB infection to TB disease, especially those who are a recent contact of someone with infectious TB disease, treatment for latent TB infection should not be delayed on the basis of pregnancy alone, even during the first trimester.

TB Treatment Regimens for P