Association of TB treatment with pregnancy complications: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Tuberculosis is a worldwide health risk factor, especially among immunocompromised groups such as in pregnant women. Diagnosis for TB is complex and appropriate initiation of treatment must be timely and cannot be postponed. This systematic review aims to assess the impact of TB drug exposure linked with pregnancy complications.Methods: Electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier and the Cochrane Library) will be screened that covers original articles published from 2010 to 2020, using medical subject headings (MeSH) and free text searches. Population study of TB-infected pregnant women with control being non-infected pregnant women, defined by maternal age between 15 ≤ 44 years, which reported pregnancy outcomes after exposure to TB treatment during pregnancy will be included. PICOS for research question eligibility, PRISMA-P guidelines and flow diagram will be adhered to and assessed by two independent reviewers. Software manager Zotero v5.0.81 will be used to eliminate duplicates and assess eligibility criteria.Ethics and dissemination: We anticipate finding a large number of studies reporting on the impact of TB drugs on the incidence of pregnancy complications which, once summarised, will be useful to establishing the link between TB drugs and pregnancy complications induced by these drugs. The protocol for the systematic review will be registered in PROSPERO. The study will be disseminated electronically and in print. It will also be presented to conferences related to TB and pregnancy.Trial registration: PROSPERO CRD42021226233; Registered on 14 January 2021