Tuberculosis—Childbirth Problems

While childbirth usually goes well, complications can happen. They can cause a risk to the mother, baby, or both. Possible complications include

• Preterm (premature) labor, when labor starts before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy
• Problems with the umbilical cord
• Problems with the position of the baby, such as breech, in which the baby is going to come out feet first
• Birth injuries

For some of these problems, the baby may need to be delivered surgically by a Cesarean section.

• Assisted delivery with forceps (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Brachial plexus injury in newborns (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Breech birth (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Caput succedaneum (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Meconium aspiration syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Premature rupture of membranes (Medical Encyclopedia)

Also called: TB

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body.

TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks. If you have been exposed, you should go to your doctor for tests. You are more likely to get TB if you have a weak immune system.

Symptoms of TB in the lungs may include

• A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Coughing up blood or mucus
• Weakness or fatigue
• Fever
• Night sweats

Skin tests, blood tests, x-rays, and other tests can tell if you have TB. If not treated properly, TB can be deadly. You can usually cure active TB by taking several medicines for a long period of time.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

• Acid-fast stain (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Coughing up blood (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Disseminated tuberculosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Meningitis – tuberculous (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• PPD skin test (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Pulmonary tuberculosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Taking medicines to treat tuberculosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Tuberculosis Facts – Exposure to TB (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Tuberculosis Facts – TB Can Be Treated (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Tuberculosis Facts – Testing for TB (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Tuberculosis Facts – You Can Prevent TB (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Tuberculosis: General Information (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF