Neonatal tetanus

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Neonatal tetanus is a form of generalized tetanus that occurs in newborns. Infants who have not acquired passive immunity because the mother has never been immunized are at risk. It usually occurs through infection of the unhealed umbilical stump, particularly when the stump is cut with a non-sterile instrument. Neonatal tetanus is common in many developing countries and is responsible for about 14% (215,000) of all neonatal deaths, but is very rare in developed countries.[1]

Incubation period

The incubation period of tetanus may be up to several months, but is usually about eight days.[2] In neonatal tetanus, symptoms usually appear from 4 to 14 days after birth, averaging about 7 days. On the basis of clinical findings, four different forms of tetanus have been described.[3]

Prevention

Two doses of tetanus toxoid immunisation is offered to pregnant females for the protection of the newborn from neonatal tetanus after delivery.

Epidemiology

Neonatal tetanus has been completely eliminated from 104 of 161 developing countries by the year 2000.[4] It is close to elimination in 22 other countries.[4] Tetanus – in particular, the neonatal form – remains a significant public health problem in non-industrialized countries. 59,000 newborns worldwide died in 2008 as a result of neonatal tetanus.[5][6]

In many countries like Yemen, there is gross lack of awareness of conditions like maternal and neonatal tetanus and immunisation campaigns have started recently, around 2011.[7]

In 1998 in Uganda, 3,433 tetanus cases were recorded in newborn babies; of these, 2,403 died. After a major public health effort, Uganda in 2011 was certified as having eliminated tetanus.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination by 2005". UNICEF. November 2000. Retrieved 2007-01-26. 
  2. ↑ Brauner, JS; Vieira, SR; Bleck, TP (2002 Jul). "Changes in severe accidental tetanus mortality in the ICU during two decades in Brazil.". Intensive care medicine 28 (7): 930–5. doi:10.1007/s00134-002-1332-4. PMID 12122532. 
  3. ↑ "Tetanus" (PDF). CDC Pink Book. Retrieved 19 January 2014. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Neonatal tetanus". Unicef. Retrieved 19 January 2014. 
  5. ↑ "Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination Initiative". Pampers UNICEF 2010 campaign: 2. 
  6. ↑ Black, RE; Cousens, S; Johnson, HL; Lawn, JE; Rudan, I; Bassani, DG; Jha, P; Campbell, H; Walker, CF; Cibulskis, R; Eisele, T; Liu, L; Mathers, C; Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group of WHO and, UNICEF (2010 Jun 5). "Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality in 2008: a systematic analysis". Lancet 375 (9730): 1969–87. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60549-1. PMID 20466419. 
  7. ↑ "Pampers and UNICEF aim to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus in Yemen". AME info.com. March 29, 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2014. 
  8. ↑ "Uganda announces elimination of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus". Unicef Media Centre. Retrieved 19 January 2014. 

Further reading

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