Abstract

Pediatric tuberculosis (TB) is a primary cause of death and morbidity. Children living in the houses of adults with tuberculosis are at high risk of infection and disease; household contact investigations are one of the most effective way for finding children with TB infection and disease. Aims and Objective: Present study was performed to find the occurrence and factors responsible for the development of tubercular infection in the pediatric population {aged 0-12 years) in a household contact of newly Diagnosed tuberculosis cases. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and fifty-four children who had household contact were studied in the Department of Pediatrics of a tertiary care center, from March 2021 to September 2022. In addition, to complete clinical history and clinical examination, data were made in baseline investigation such as tuberculin skin testing, sputum acid-fast bacillus; chest X-ray and CBNAAT was performed on all household contacts of age group 0-12 years. Results: The incidence of child TB was 5.9% (n=15 out of 254). The incidence of infection (assessed by the Mantoux test) was 20.9%. Reactive Mantoux test (100%) and positive Sputum for AFB test (66.7%), Malnourishment (93.3%), and smokers in the family (60%) were the significant risk factors associated with child tuberculosis. Most of the index source cases diagnosed with tuberculosis were female (66.7%; p=0.075) and had pulmonary tuberculosis (60%; p=0.008). The majority of the children with TB completed treatment (80%). Conclusion: Tuberculosis infection and clinical disease are more common in children in households with adult patients than in the general population. That contact with sputum-positive adults increases the risk significantly.

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