An Amish woman in Kentucky who had never received age-appropriate diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP or Tdap) vaccines contracted obstetric tetanus following a home birth, said CDC researchers.
Writing in the , they noted that no cases of obstetric tetanus were recorded in the U.S. from 1972 to 2008. Obstetric tetanus occurs during pregnancy following contamination of wounds with Clostridium tetani spores or the use of contaminated tools or practices during non-sterile deliveries.
The woman delivered a child at home with breech presentation, with the help of an "unlicensed community childbirth assistant." Nine days postpartum, she developed symptoms and was admitted to a local hospital. She was discharged a month later.
The researchers said more outreach is needed between public health departments and Amish communities, which often do not seek out preventive healthcare.