Tuberculin sensitivity in low birth weight and malnourished children.

In India, pediatricians compared data on 240 low birth weight (LBW) infants with data on normal birth weight infants and data on 224 malnourished children with data on children of normal nutritional status to determine the tuberculin status of the two immunocompromised groups who received BCG vaccination at birth. No child had third degree or severe malnutrition. The pediatricians used PPD induration to determine tuberculin status. Throughout the study period (36 months), the mean size of PPD induration among the LBW infants was not significantly different than that of normal weight infants (p 0.05). At 3 months, it was 11 mm for the LBW group and 10.5 mm for the controls. By 36 months, these figures were 4.3 mm and 3.7 mm, respectively. At all ages, the difference in the mean size of PPD induration between malnourished children and well-nourished children was not significant. At 6 months, it was 10.2 mm for first degree malnutrition, 8.7 mm for second degree malnutrition, and 10.7 for controls. These findings indicate that tuberculin sensitivity after neonatal BCG vaccination among LBW infants is similar to that among normal weight infants and it is not affected by first and second degree malnutrition. The pediatricians recommend that LBW infants receive BCG vaccination at birth.