I haven't really 'written' about anything too recently so I thought I would tell you all a little about a subject I have been learning more about the last few months - Tuberculosis.
Ok, not the most exciting title but something that actually affects a fair few of the kids that we have here at the home. Infant TB is actually very difficult to pick up because often the children will have only one or even no symptoms of the disease. The only way to know for sure is to run tests, and, again, often only the skin test is positive. Those of you in America who've had to apply for jobs at nursing homes, etc. may have had this test done. It is called a Mantoux test and is administered by injecting a little tuberculin under the skin on your forearm. After 3 days you have to 'read' the test and if the swollen area is larger than a dime, it is positive.
I took our baby girl in for a Mantoux test on Monday of this week because she has been presenting with a very rattley/wheezey chest on and off for the last 6 weeks, which can be a sign of TB. We did not think that she would test positive however, because another sign is 'failure to thrive' or weight loss and her nickname is Chipmunk because she is so chubby. However, today we read the test and it was certainly positive. We had x-rays taken today so we will see if it is very serious or just a 'touch of TB' as our Doctor likes to call it when we go to the local clinic tomorrow.
Happily there are 2 good things about infant TB - it is easy to treat and is rarely contagious. For treatment all that is required is a 6 month course of dissolved tablets (ok, maybe not that easy, but at least not life threatening and not involving hospitalization).
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