Pregnant woman triggers TB alert

Tuberculosis (TB) usually affects the lungs

More than 30 babies could be tested for tuberculosis after a pregnant woman on a hospital's maternity ward was later found to have the disease.

Officials from the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust contacted 32 women whose babies were delivered at Jessop Wing, at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, in November last year.

The Trust said screening tests were being offered as a precaution but said the risk of infection was "incredibly low".

All of the women have now been contacted so no-one else needs to be worried by this

Dr Christine Bates

Dr Christine Bates, consultant microbiologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said: "The chance of any infection is incredibly low but because we are talking about very young babies, we have decided it is sensible to offer these mothers the opportunity to test their children.

"All of the women have now been contacted so no-one else needs to be worried by this."

The Trust said the patient concerned had not displayed any symptoms of TB while she was on the ward.

She recently developed a cough and tested positive for the disease.

Effective treatment

But due to the length of the incubation of the disease, tests are being offered as the patient could have been infectious while she was on the ward.

Dr Bates added: "Although it is expected the results of all testing will prove to be negative, if any baby does test positive for infection, a three-month course of antibiotics will be administered which babies of that age can cope with very well.

"Following this, no further interventions would be anticipated."

Although TB is easily spread through the air when infected people cough or sneeze, doctors are keen to stress that many people who are infected with the TB bacteria do no develop the full-blown disease.