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How to manage neonatal tuberculosis

Abstract

This article reports the recommendations for managing neonatal tuberculosis (TB) drawn up by a group of Italian scientific societies. The Consensus Conference method was used, and relevant publications in English were identified through a systematic review of MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from their inception until 31 December 2014. Group experts concluded that if suspicion is aroused, it is necessary to undertake promptly all of the investigations useful for identifying the disease not only in the newborn, but also in the mother and family contacts because a diagnosis of TB in the family nucleus can guide its diagnosis and treatment in the newborn. If the suspicion is confirmed, empirical treatment should be started. Breast-fed newborns being treated with isoniazid should be given pyridoxine supplementation at a dose of 1 mg kg−1 day−1. Mothers with active-phase TB can breast-feed once they have become smear negative after having received appropriate treatment.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Health (Bando Giovani Ricercatori 2009).

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Correspondence to S Esposito.

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Members of the Italian Pediatric TB Study Group The Italian Pediatric TB Study Group also includes: Nicola Principi, Samantha Bosis, Claudia Tagliabue, Laura Senatore, Beatrice Ascolese (Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy); Laura Lancella, Laura Cursi, Annalisa Grandin, Caterina Marabotto (Unit of General Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Hospital, Rome, Italy); Luisa Galli, Maurizio de Martino, Elena Chiappini, Carlotta Montagnani, Daniele Ciofi, Filippo Festini, Martina Anziati, Sabrina Becciani, Giulia Remaschi, Sara Sollai, Chiara Tersigni, Elisabetta Venturini (Pediatric Clinic, Meyer Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy); Alfredo Guarino, Andrea Lo Vecchio, Riccardo Scotto (Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Pediatrics, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy); Filippo Bernardi (Pediatric Emergency Unit, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy); Elisa Bertazzoni (Pharmacology Unit, University of Verona, Verona, Italy); Francesco Blasi (Pneumology Unit, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy); Marialuisa Bocchino, Luca Assante (Pneumology Unit, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy); Elio Castagnola, Giuseppe Losurdo (Infectious Diseases Unit, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy); Daniela Cirillo, Enrico Tortoli (Microbiology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy); Luigi Codecasa (Referral Center for Tuberculosis, Lombardy Region, Milan, Italy); Giuseppe Di Mauro (primary care pediatrician, Caserta, Italy); Marino Faccini (Prevention Department, ASL Milano, Milan, Italy); Clara Gabiano, Silvia Garazzino, Daniele Le Serre, Irene Raffaldi (Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Regina Margherita Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy); Gianluigi Marseglia, Amelia Mascolo (Pediatric Clinic, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy); Alberto Matteelli (World Health Organization, Global Tuberculosis Programme, Geneva, Switzerland); Giovanni Battista Migliori (World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Fondazione S Maugeri, Care and Research Institute, Tradate, Italy); Angela Pasinato (primary care pediatrician, Vicenza, Italy); Cristina Russo (Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Hospital, Rome, Italy); Franco Scaglione (Pharmacology Section, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy); Elisabetta Scala (MOIGE Association, Rome, Italy); Marina Tadolini (Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy); Paolo Tomà (Radiology Unit, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Hospital, Rome, Italy). Scientific societies involved in the Italian Pediatric TB Study Group: Società Italiana di Neonatologia (SIN), represented by Amelia Di Comite and Mauro Stronati; Società Italiana di Infettivologia Pediatrica (SITIP), represented by Susanna Esposito, Maurizio de Martino, Luisa Galli, Alfredo Guarino, Laura Lancella, Andrea Lo Vecchio, Nicola Principi, Samantha Bosis, Elio Castagnola, Clara Gabiano, Silvia Garazzino, Giuseppe Losurdo, Carlotta Montagnani, Martina Anziati, Beatrice Ascolese, Sabrina Becciani, Laura Cursi, Annalisa Grandin, Daniele Le Serre, Caterina Marabotto, Irene Raffaldi, Giulia Remaschi, Riccardo Scotto, Laura Senatore, Sara Sollai, Claudia Tagliabue, Chiara Tersigni and Elisabetta Venturini; Società Italiana di Pediatria (SIP), represented by Alberto Villani, Cristina Russo and Paolo Tomà Società Italiana di Malattie Respiratorie Infantili (SIMRI), represented by Filippo Bernardi; Società Italiana di Immunologia e Allergologia Pediatrica (SIAIP), represented by Gianluigi Marseglia and Amelia Mascolo; Società Italiana di Pediatria Preventiva e Sociale (SIPPS), represented by Giuseppe Di Mauro and Elena Chiappini; Società Italiana per le Cure Primarie Pediatriche (SiCUPP), represented by Angela Pasinato; Società Italiana di Malattie Respiratorie (SIMER), represented by Francesco Blasi, Marialuisa Bocchino and Luca Assante; Associazione Italiana Pneumologi Ospedalieri (AIPO), represented by Luigi Codecasa; Società Italiana di Malattie Infettive e Tropicali (SIMIT), represented by Alberto Matteelli; Associazione Microbiologi Clinici Italiani (AMCLI), represented by Enrico Tortoli; Società Italiana di Chemioterapia (SIC), represented by Elisa Bertazzoni; Società Italiana di Farmacologia (SIF), represented by Francesco Scaglione; STOP TB, represented by Daniela Cirillo, Marino Faccini, Giovanni Battista Migliori, Marina Tadolini, Rossella Centis and Lia D’Ambrosio; Società Italiana di Scienze Infermieristiche Pediatriche (SISIP), represented by Filippo Festini and Daniele Ciofi; MOIGE, represented by Elisabetta Scala.

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Di Comite, A., Esposito, S., Villani, A. et al. How to manage neonatal tuberculosis. J Perinatol 36, 80–85 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2015.99

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