PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Sudhin Thayyil-Sudhan AU - Ashok Kumar AU - Meharban Singh AU - Vinod Kumar Paul AU - Ashok Kumar Deorari TI - Safety and effectiveness of BCG vaccination in preterm babies AID - 10.1136/fn.81.1.F64 DP - 1999 Jul 01 TA - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition PG - F64--F66 VI - 81 IP - 1 4099 - http://fn.bmj.com/content/81/1/F64.short 4100 - http://fn.bmj.com/content/81/1/F64.full SO - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed1999 Jul 01; 81 AB - AIM To assess the cell mediated immune response to BCG vaccine in preterm babies. METHODS Sixty two consecutive preterm babies born at < 35 weeks of gestation were randomly allocated into two groups. Babies in group A were vaccinated early at 34–35 weeks and group B were vaccinated late at 38–40 weeks of postconceptional age. The two groups were similar in terms of: gestational age (mean (SD) 33.1 (1.1) and 33 (1.2) weeks, respectively); birthweight 1583 (204) and 1546 (218) g; neonatal problems; socioeconomic status; and postnatal weight gain. The cell mediated immune response to BCG was assessed using the Mantoux test and the lymphocyte migration inhibition test (LMIT) 6–8 weeks after BCG vaccination. Induration of >5 mm after the Mantoux test was taken as a positive response. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the tuberculin conversion rates (80% and 80.7%, respectively), positive LMIT (86.6% and 90.3%, respectively), or BCG scar (90.0% and 87.1%, respectively) among the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Prematurity seems to be an unlikely cause for poor vaccine uptake. Preterm babies can be effectively vaccinated with BCG at 34–35 weeks of postconceptional age, the normal time of discharge in a developing country.