Basic and Clinical Sciences Examination (BCSE) Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide for Exam Success

Maternal smoking is associated with an increased risk of children acquiring tuberculosis (TB) due to several primary factors. First, maternal smoking can compromise the immune system of both the mother and the child. A weakened immune system increases susceptibility to infections, including TB, as the body has less capacity to fight off mycobacterial infections.

Additionally, exposure to tobacco smoke can impact lung development in children, making them more vulnerable to respiratory diseases. Children are also more likely to be exposed to environmental factors that increase TB transmission when their mothers smoke, particularly if there is a cohabitation with other smokers or individuals who may be ill. This combination of weakened immunity, respiratory complications, and increased exposure to pathogens elevates the risk for the child to contract TB.

The other options—mother's age, educational level, and employment status—may have indirect links to health outcomes but do not have the same direct biological and environmental connections to the risk of TB transmission in children as maternal smoking does.