23 Newborns Infected with Latent Tuberculosis... Postpartum Care Center on Alert

23 Newborns at Busan Postpartum Care Center Infected with Latent Tuberculosis
Newborn Parents Raise Petition and Form Emergency Committee Criticizing Initial Response
Experts Warn "Newborns Can Develop Severe Tuberculosis"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Seunggon Han and Yeongeun Kim] An epidemiological investigation is underway targeting newborns after a nursing assistant at a postpartum care center in Busan was diagnosed with infectious tuberculosis. So far, dozens of newborns have consecutively tested positive for latent tuberculosis, raising alarms. Parents of the newborns at the postpartum care center have formed an emergency response committee to coordinate joint actions.

According to Busan city and the responsible public health center on the 17th, at least 23 newborns at a postpartum care center in Busan, where the nursing assistant diagnosed with tuberculosis worked, have tested positive for latent tuberculosis.

Out of a total of 288 newborns tested for tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis, approximately 10% were found to be positive. Most of the newborns confirmed positive had used the postpartum care center during July and August.

Latent tuberculosis testing can only be conducted three months after the last contact with the infected person. Therefore, it is currently unknown how many more newborns will test positive in the future. In particular, even if a newborn’s test result is negative initially, there is a possibility it could change to positive during the latent period testing process, increasing parents’ anxiety.

According to the city, the nursing assistant visited a hospital in October due to coughing symptoms and underwent a tuberculosis test, which showed no abnormalities at that time. However, on the 6th, a sputum bacterial culture test came back positive, and the nursing assistant was reported as a tuberculosis patient.

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Post Capture

Meanwhile, although the tuberculosis case of the infected nursing assistant was reported on the 6th, newborn testing only began on the 10th. Parents of the newborns at the postpartum care center have raised concerns about the hospital’s inadequate initial response and the lack of transparency regarding the epidemiological investigation and testing process.

About 150 mothers who used the postpartum care center have formed an emergency committee demanding an apology and follow-up measures from the center and are taking joint action.

The emergency committee reportedly held its first meeting last weekend and is considering holding explanatory sessions for parents and pursuing legal action to hold the postpartum care center accountable. They also claim that there are cases where newborns tested positive despite staying at the center for only a few hours, and argue that newborns who left before the testing date should also be tested.

Additionally, on the 16th, a petition titled "I am a mother victim of the tuberculosis case involving a nursing assistant at a Busan postpartum care center" was posted on the Blue House’s public petition board.

The petitioner stated, "The hospital and public health center became aware of the incident on November 6th but only notified parents on the 9th, three days later," and added, "The public health center called three times to verify personal information, but the postpartum care center gave incorrect names and addresses."

She continued, "It is upsetting that newborns as young as less than a day old to up to 100 days old have to take medication, but repeated errors in the testing list and the fact that a week has passed since the infectious disease occurred without all parents being tested is causing great anxiety. Both the hospital and the care center assured that all tests were negative, but positive cases have emerged. I hope the epidemiological investigation expands the scope of newborns tested and conducts a thorough investigation."

Experts expressed concern that while latent tuberculosis currently shows no symptoms or infectivity, it could be dangerous for newborns, unlike adults.

Professor Woojoo Kim, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital, emphasized, "Newborns are more vulnerable to tuberculosis because their immune systems are weak. Depending on the immunity passed from their parents, there is a possibility of developing severe forms such as pulmonary tuberculosis or disseminated tuberculosis."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.