Experts recommend exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months because it protects against deadly childhood illness, including respiratory tract infections and diarrhea. We hypothesized that exclusive breastfeeding would decrease the risk of active tuberculosis (TB) in children. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 279 children in Lima, Peru aged 6 to 59 months with TB symptoms and a close adult contact with TB. Mothers self-reported breastfeeding, and children were evaluated for TB per national guidelines. To quantify the association between exclusive breastfeeding and TB, we estimated prevalence ratios using a generalized linear model with a log link, binomial distribution, and robust variance. Twentytwo percent of children were diagnosed with TB and 72% were exclusively breastfed for six months. We found no evidence that six months of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with T...

We examined Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA detection from buccal swab samples collected from children in Lima, Peru. DNA was extracted and amplified via real-time polymerase chain reaction. Sensitivity was 21% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7%–42%) in 24 culture-confirmed tuberculosis cases and 4.6% (95% CI: 1%–13%) in 65 clinically diagnosed unconfirmed cases. Sensitivity was highest for smear-positive tuberculosis. Specificity was 99% in the 199 controls (95% CI: 96%–100%).