Uncommon Infant and Newborn Problems—Tuberculosis

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

It can be scary when your baby is sick, especially when it is not an everyday problem like a cold or a fever. You may not know whether the problem is serious or how to treat it. If you have concerns about your baby’s health, call your health care provider right away.

Learning information about your baby’s condition can help ease your worry. Do not be afraid to ask questions about your baby’s care. By working together with your health care provider, you make sure that your baby gets the best care possible.

• Brief resolved unexplained event — BRUE (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Crying – excessive (0-6 months) (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Failure to thrive (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Hyperglycemia – infants (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Neonatal sepsis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Neutropenia – infants (Medical Encyclopedia)